Junior E’LissaAnn Jones applies her diverse interests to helping others around her 

Disha Kumar, Features Editor

When students come across junior E’LissaAnn Jones in the hallways, they are greeted with a bright smile and an energetic wave. Jones’ contributions to the community, however, extend beyond her vivacious personality. She embodies what it means to be a successful student in the realms of arts, academics, and athletics.

When she was younger, Jones’ father was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury. Immediately, she began researching the topic and searching for ways to make his life easier. Ever since she found out how common these types of illnesses are, she has been fascinated with the idea of creating solutions to problems that anyone can face. 

“I would always try to create things for him and be my own engineer,” Jones said. “I’ve been using household items and putting them together since I was little because I found that I just really loved it.”

Now that she is older, Jones has been able to further her interest in engineering through a number of engineering courses and organizations. Paul Platt, the engineering teacher at Northview, has watched Jones grow over the years and mature as an engineering student. 

“I would say that girls around her find her excitement contagious,” Platt said. “Just being excited by engineering gets others around her enjoying my class, enjoying the projects, and enjoying doing stuff.”

Paul notes that, unlike other students, Jones can dive into a project from scratch and quickly find a solution. This, he believes, is the mark of an experienced engineer, whereas other students often do not know where to start. Jones even received the Women in Technology 2021 Girl of the Year award, an honor given to those who have shown exemplary skill in the field of technology. To help other students develop their interest in engineering, Jones has started nonprofit organizations dedicated to involving girls in STEM. One of these, the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), falls under the guidance of Platt. 

“Engineering, in particular, is a male-dominated field, and it’s like society says, ‘Girls can’t be interested in STEM. Girls aren’t great at mathematics,’” Jones said. “That’s why I started [BMES] and the Society of Women Engineers—you should be able to do whatever you’re interested in, and there’s nothing that’s off-limits to a certain gender or a certain group of people.”

Jones finds herself defying gender norms even outside of engineering. As a double bass player for the Northview and Emory Youth Symphony orchestras, she is also able to express her creativity through music.

“I defy [the stereotype that] there are certain instruments for certain genders, or certain instruments are too big for girls to carry around,” Jones said. “It's cool that I can, as a girl, play whatever instrument I will say I can play.”

Jeremy Woolstenhulme, Northview’s orchestra teacher, recalls a time his students had to create videos of themselves playing during remote learning. He jokingly told his class that, if they were to perform in a gold room, they would receive extra credit on the assignment. Surely enough, Jones combined her talent for finding innovative ways to achieve a goal with her passion for music when she filmed her video with a greenscreen to have the gold room in the background. She is also currently leading a group of orchestra students to create a performance for a competition.

“She’s always positive with a big smile and goes above and beyond on assignments and stuff like that,” Woolstenhulme said. “When she was a freshman, she was the principal bass player in the chamber orchestra. That’s impressive.” 

Her leadership qualities can be seen both inside and outside of the classroom; in her spare time, she volunteers as an activist with the Georgia High School Democrats and as an ambassador to spread STEM resources to homeless shelters and orphanage homes. 

“Just being able to give back to the community gives a positive and empowering message to girls, and I mean African American girls in particular, and [allows me to be] that role model in a sense,” Jones said. 

Even through her extracurricular activities, Jones looks for ways to improve the lives of others. Jones used to play lacrosse, and when she saw how common concussions are in the sport, she created a wearable prototype to prevent head injuries. As someone who thrives off competition and constant growth, it comes as no surprise that he is a state record-holder in rowing as well, and she hopes to continue exploring her many interests in the years to come.

“I represent so many different groups, and I have so many interests,” Jones said. “I can really show that nothing is off-limits, and there are no boundaries.”