"Jaclyn is a self driven, focused, creative person who effortlessly makes the world more beautiful everywhere she goes. She has a warmth about her that draws people to her. I treasure Jaclyn to no end. She has been a gift to me every single day of her life. From the depths of my heart I will forever be thankful Heavenly Father trusted me with her." — Jaclyn's mom
"My daughter is incredibly talented with painting, singing, dance...you name it, she tries her best at everything she does. She is determined and hard working. What I love most about her right now is her genuine desire to help other people. She is aware of people around her and looks for ways she can help and then she does it without needing to be asked." — Dad
"Jaclyn is bright, creative, fun, observant, responsible, brave, and loving. She has an eye for design and is always improving her surroundings. Jaclyn has inspired me to develop my talents. After seeing how much time she puts into her art, schoolwork, and design, I realize that I can do more!" — Uncle Weston
"Jaclyn’s biggest achievement was receiving her young women’s medallion within one year of starting. She set weekly and daily goals and one by one checked off everything she needed to receive it before the program was going to end." — Dad
"There are many delightful words that can describe Jaclyn. She has always enjoyed art and is naturally creative. She dances beautifully and even when she goes swimming, she has a fun time. Her music brings her joy, but many others as well. There is no doubt she cares greatly about people and treats others with respect and kindness." — Grandma Leavitt
"Jaclyn makes me realize there is hope in the next generation. If everyone could become as caring and responsible as she is what a wonderful world it would be! Many adults are not as mature or responsible as she is and has been since she was little. She always seems to make the most of her life whether developing talents, studying, spending time with family and friends or looking for new opportunities. This makes me ask myself if I'm doing all that I could be doing in my life. I can only imagine what she will accomplish in her life and I am very proud of her!" — Grandma McDonald
"Her greatest talent is her attitude and desire to try anything and, as far as I know, excel at whatever she tries. She is a singer, dancer, conversationalist, leader, and with all that, she is good at following the lead of others. Most who are good soloists have difficulty sharing the spotlight or blending with others. Jaclyn excels at both." — Grandpa McDonald
"This last summer, my family was going through some very difficult times. I was teaching six students and Jaclyn could tell something was going on. I received a voicemail from her and another student. She said they felt inspired to call me. This is what they said (Yes, I kept it,) "We just wanted to say what an amazing artist you are and such a great teacher. You always help us and never give up on us and you don't care how our paintings look and you always help us make them better. You are so fun! Your voice is beautiful and we love to be with you. If anyone ever is feeling down you build them up. You are so kind and inspiring. You make everyone happy." This message still makes me cry. I will keep it forever."— Ally Sweeney, art teacher
"Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Don't try to be perfect or make the perfect painting. Art is never perfect. Art is a feeling. Art conveys a message. Perfect is boring. Be unconventional, walk outside the prescribed lines that others feel safe in. Make mistakes and work through them. Remember the process of painting is like life. We start out blocking it in, envisioning in our mind the outcome. Then it starts getting hard. Mistakes, unintended paths, reestablishing guidelines, and we push through. At the end of our art journey we get to add the details that make it shine-bumping up the highlights, adding a hint of an unusual color to make it more interesting and finally our signature. Make your life yours!" — Ally Sweeney, art teacher
"I would want Jaclyn to always realize that she is wonderful, even if she can't always be doing all the things she does right now. It gets harder to keep up with all that you'd like to be doing when you have responsibilities as a parent or employee. I would say enjoy your talents and balance them with everything else in life, so you won't burn out! Don't put too much pressure on yourself!" — Grandma McDonald
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