Wapello Community Schools

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

The first in our installment highlighting Wapello Alumni is
Jessica (Breon) DeMaris (Jes)

Class of 2012

My Family: I am married to my husband, Cam. We just celebrated our two-year anniversary. We have two corgis, Purdy and Trice, who keep us on our toes!

Where I Live Now: We currently live in Ames, IA - Go Cyclones!

My Career: I am the Associate Regional Director at Optimae LifeServices. Optimae is a mental health company that provides several services to adults and children with mental and intellectual disabilities. I oversee the North Central Iowa Region, consisting of nine programs across several counties.
When I went to Iowa State, I was not sure what I wanted to do. (I changed my major 5 times.) After college, I worked with children with autism and really found a passion for the human services field. I knew I really wanted to get experience in management and started at Optimae in 2019 as an entry-level supervisor. In the past 6 years, I’ve held six different jobs, each a promotion from the last.

Volunteer Work: I don’t currently volunteer with any organizations due to the time commitment my current job takes, but since graduating, I have volunteered my time to several families with children with autism and assisted with identifying strategies for challenging behaviors.

What did Wapello Community Schools teach you? WCS taught me the importance of small-town life and friendships that have lasted since elementary school. WCS really instilled the importance of community. I still talk often of Hometown Days and how WCS made it a priority to take care of their community and instill the pride of living there.

My Advice to Current Students: You don’t have to know all the answers to what you want to do after high school! Try new things and step out of your comfort zone! Your life is just starting, and many new challenges and achievements are on the way. Most of all, don’t forget your hometown and small community life.

Jes DeMaris - Facebook