Tessa said sometimes she is embarrassed by her tremors, but she can’t hide the fact that she shakes. Her hands shake all the time, and sometimes her entire body shakes. Drinking from a cup is a challenge, with lots of spills.

Even though she is challenged by her ET she refuses to let it prevent her from doing the things she loves. She’s always sketching something and has learned to be patient with herself when her hands won’t do what she wants them to do.

She has won multiple art awards including Best of Show at the Juab High School Art Show, along with two first place awards. She also received a best of show and several honorable mention awards at the Snow College High School Art Competition. She received an honorable mention at the Utah All-State Art Show and Utah Congressman Burgess Owens has her winning painting displayed in his office. She won all of these awards without the judges having any awareness of her ET.

Tessa excels academically and had an overall 4.0 GPA in high school. She served as president of the Juab High School Art Club her senior year. Other leadership positions she held in high school included Volleyball Team Captain and serving on the Super Independent’s Student Leadership Council.

Having tremors might be annoying and sometimes even upsetting, but Tessa remains optimistic.

“In spite of my tremors, I feel confident in myself and my ability to succeed,” she said.