Every senior wants their last year of high school to be the best and last year of their high school career, and they want to leave a mark somehow. All the seniors at Big Sky High School have to complete a senior project in order to graduate. Most of the seniors do their projects on an interest they may have and want to extend into it more or they might want to try something completely new. Kelsey Jones decided to do something no 17-year-old has ever done in Missoula: take the police exam.

Jones a new student to Big Sky High School this year. She previously went to Sentinel for three years. When a new student comes to a new school each student has a different transition, it may be easy for some but harder for others. Jones said, “At first it was awkward getting used to the school, but then it became an easy transition because everyone was so kind and welcoming.”
Getting an idea for a senior project can be quite a thinking process. A senior student might change their project idea a million times. Some seniors know what they want to do so they can start off on their project right off the bat. Kelsey said “It was easy for me to choose an idea for my senior project.” According to Jones, “Law enforcement has always been a very big interest of mine and it has been a dream of mine to work in it and when I saw the opportunity to do a senior project so I thought it would be a great idea, so I took it!”
In senior projects there are many steps that the student has to take in the project. Kelsey said “I did many things in my project, I got involved in our local police department here in town and I had the lucky opportunity to job shadow local cops and plus I met my awesome mentor Rebekah through the local police department and made a connection with her and other cops and I got to meet a retired K9 named Ryker!’’
Jones took the Montana Law Enforcement Physical Abilities Test (MPA) this year. “This test is very high demanding for anyone wanting to work in law enforcement and it is required for them to take it every year.” An interesting fact Jones told was “I was the youngest person to ever take it in the state! I didn’t pass it but I’m definitely going to take it again soon and I would say to prepare ahead of time for it because physically it takes a lot of work.”
Jones didn’t face many hard struggles in her senior project but said “Her senior paper on police brutality was tough,” Jones says.
Jones had many favorite parts of her senior project. She said “The biggest highlight of my project was meeting my super amazing mentor Rebekah, we have grown an awesome friendship she is someone who I can count on for advice.”
If she could do anything over in senior project she wishes the timing had been different “I wish I could have been tased but I couldn’t because I wasn’t 18.”
Jones has some advice to the incoming senior class of 2018 doing senior projects. “Don’t complain about doing a senior projects. Be grateful for being able to do one. I came from a school where we didn’t have to do them, but I’m glad I did one because I was able to accomplish many great things.”
After graduation Jones has many bright plans ahead in her future, “I’m going to the University of Montana to get my degree in Criminology and I start volunteering at the Missoula Police Department this summer, I am so very excited to see what my future holds.”