She/Her

Voting for yearbook senior superlatives is a rite of passage. Every year seniors vote for their fellow senior who most fits specific categories like “Best Smile” or “Best Snap Stories.” The votes are tallied and then the winners are named. This year Jarreth Oglesbee, who is openly transgendered, won the “Most Changed” category of senior bests. “I’m not surprised. I even joked about it,” shared Oglesbee. “It is kind of expected.” What Oglesbee did not expect was the change itself, or even the idea of it. Everything started the summer before her junior year. “I didn’t know what a transgender person was until after I figured out I was a transgender person,” explained Oglesbee. There was not a moment where Oglesbee just realized she was a girl. Instead, it all happened incredibly slowly.
“Explaining ‘how you know' is probably the hardest one because it’s the question most based on feelings and that takes a lot of introspection, “Oglesbee shared.
“It doesn’t really change as much as you think it would. It’s not that I changed, but what I knew about myself changed,” explained Oglesbee. “I am a lot more comfortable about myself now, as a result.”
Along with growing out her hair and developing her style, some alterations Oglesbee did not feel were needed. This included her name, Jarreth. “I didn’t change my name because of the uniqueness of the name,” expressed Oglesbee. “I just think of it as my name, not necessarily a guy’s name.” Instead of altering her first name, after graduation Oglesbee plans on legally changing her middle name from Edgar to Luna.
Throughout it all, Oglesbee has had lots of support in many areas of her life, including her family, friends, and teachers. Oglesbee has a very loving, helpful family by her side, but she knows that is not always the case. “These days people like to think of [support] as a black and white thing,” started Oglesbee. “Even though a family member doesn’t support you… that doesn’t mean they don’t still love you and support you even in things related to those things.” However, family support is not all Oglesbee had.
English teacher, and her Speech & Debate advisor, Deborah Groff also noticed and welcomed the change. “Jarreth has always been a kind and thoughtful student - - that hasn’t changed at all.” Groff started. “What I will say is that now Jarreth seems more outgoing and sure of herself. She’s more confident and charismatic.” For Groff as Oglesbee’s teacher and advisor for all four years, she witnessed the transition. “It was interesting. While I’ve had transgender students before, this was my first experience watching such a complete transformation,” expressed Groff.
Senior Kayleigh Looney, Oglesbee’s best friend, and Speech & Debate team member is another component of Oglesbee’s support system. “I’m proud of her for being able to stand up in front of people and talk about something that has literally changed her life,” Looney expressed. Although changing is difficult, Oglesbee’s support system has been helpful in making everything just a little bit easier.
Her support system extended to the Speech & Debate Team, a team that has stuck with her throughout the transition. This year in honor of her transition, Oglesbee wrote and performed a new, and now favorite, competition pieced. The speech is categorized as an After Dinner Speech. “It’s supposed to be a humorous speech with a serious undertone, and it is just like that,” explained Groff. “[The speech] basically details the story of how it all happened.”
In her speech “Real Girl,” Oglesbee introduces herself and explains her story on how she came out and how things have, or have not, changed at school. By the end, she summarizes her point in just one sentence. “There are always going to be people judging you no matter what you do. Even if you try to please everyone there will still be people hating you for it. The only person who it's your business to make happy is yourself.”