Have you ever wondered what your teacher was like in high school? Ever wondered what Clover Hill was like back in the day? English teacher Jessica Fout has all the answers for you. 

Fout graduated Clover Hill High School back in 1999, when it was located at the Career and Technical Center on Hull Street. She was a part of the Math and Science program. Back in the 90s, the Math/Sci kids and the district kids were very divided.

“The ‘regular’ CHHS kids teased us a lot about being nerds.  We didn’t feel like we were very accepted,” Fout said.

Fout states that she is glad that this seems to no longer be an issue, and Math/Sci is more integrated into the rest of the school than from when she attended.

Fout thinks back on what she was like back in high school, “I was absolutely NOT popular, but I was very friendly and outgoing,” Fout said. She enjoyed school and took it seriously, but did struggle with procrastination. Along with that, she loved being involved with the school; Fout was an active member of SCA, the Class Councils, French Club, Drama Club, and the Speech team. She was also a founding member of the Cavalier Crazies. Fout also loved being involved in the theater department, over the years she had a few speaking roles in the plays but was known for working in crew. 

Mrs. Kirtley was Fout’s ninth grade art teacher, she loved art but admits she had no talent for it. She recalls a special funny moment she had with Kirtley, “When we were doing our course selections in the spring, I excitedly told Mrs. Kirtley that I wanted to continue taking art the following year.  She asked me, ‘Jessica, have you thought about trying photography?’ With that suggestion, I signed up for photography instead of art. I enjoyed photo class & learned lots, but I was just as unskilled in that class as I had been in Art!  It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I realized Mrs. Kirtley was telling me I would not be successful in advanced art classes in the nicest way possible,” Fout said.

Fout didn’t always know she wanted to be an English teacher; when she started high school, she wanted to be a lawyer. During this time, the OJ Simpson trial was happening, and that had caused her to change her mind on being a lawyer. During college is when she figured out being a teacher was the best for her. 

Fout’s favorite memory was meeting her husband at Clover Hill; she met him when they were in ninth grade. She started her senior year by going on their first date to homecoming. “Going to that dance with him is probably my favorite memory since it has had a pretty lasting impact on my life,” Fout said. 

Fout continues to build on her legacy as a teacher at “The Hill” for time to come.