Mallory McDonald

a profile of Tess Griesedieck written for my reporting class 

A tall, thin, brunette with a wide and white smile sits in front of the camera as the Daily Update runs through SMU’s campus. She reads with confidence and excitement in hopes of pleasing the viewers waiting for their news, her co-anchor relying on her accuracy, and her professor who is standing on the other side of the camera. Tess Griesedieck is a sophomore at SMU studying english with a creative writing specialization and journalism. Her goal she says, “It changes.”

Tess is unconcerned; she is carefree; she is bubbly and fun, but hardworking and talented. Like most, her family is what has shaped her. Her dad, now opening a consulting firm, has been a lawyer for the last 30 years and gave her the creative thinking mind that brought her to writing in the first place. Her mother, on the other hand gave her the, “work smarter, not harder” mentality. Tess is a fusion between the two and what results is a driven young woman who tends to procrastinate and has trouble focusing, but always gets her work done in the end.

Griesedieck picked SMU as her first choice University and despite from being hundreds of miles away absolutely loves it. According to Tess, “I couldn’t imagine going to any other school. It’s not like this fairy tale all the time…but it’s one of the greatest environments to be in.”

Though she loves SMU, her home life also influenced the person she is here. “I always say St. Louis is the biggest small town there is. Everyone knows everything about everyone.” Griesedieck says. She is still shocked that people at SMU don’t know characteristics about herself because she is so accustomed to the whole world knowing her business and being okay with that fact that she just assumed it would continue in college. But despite this difference, in her outgoing and friendly spirit, she has taken to informing her new peers.

Tess is a member of Delta Delta Delta, works for the Honors College, lives with two of her best friends, is highly involved in campus activities, and thoroughly immerses herself into SMU on a daily basis. But when asked what she would like to be described as she says, “Ideally I’d like it to be, oh she’s this great student. She works hard and is doing this, this and this, bit that’s not really a profile of a person—that’s a resume.” Griesedieck couldn’t be more right. She is so much more than a list of her activities. So what does represent her?

No matter which aspect of Griesedieck’s life is evaluated, one commonality shines through—the need to make people happy and herself, but she always puts the needs of others above her own. This fact carries into the relationships with her younger brother and best friend, 16, and her younger sister, 12. It also gives her heavy burdens as both her parents struggle to let go of dying parents, as she wants to make sure they are okay. Her friendships and relationships also carry the imbalance she creates with her need to please. Tess is the strong tower for everyone in her life. She is the one who holds everyone together and herself, no matter what.

This quality takes her places, but it also holds her back. One of her biggest struggles is realizing she needs to stand up for herself. She is non-confrontational and self-sacrificial, but she recognizes that she needs to make personal time for herself. She says she is beginning to do this in a number of ways from silly activities like watching her favorite T.V. show and painting her nails to participating in the Daily Update. Tess is truly coming into her own and striving as she learns, is challenged, and matures.

Griesedieck’s biggest struggle is also one of her warmest qualities. Her desire to please drives her heart to be kind and to give back to those in her life that truly matter to her, from her family to her friends to her sorority sisters to her classmates. But, she knows she needs to please herself too and even more she knows where she will do this: her future goals. The world will know when Tess has finally pleased herself when it turns on the T.V. and sees the beautiful brunette smiling back at them saying, “reporting live I’m Tess Griesedieck.”