Interview by Gainesville High School Junior and Abernathy Cochran Intern Kate Willis
Meet Jessica Van! Jessica is a Gainesville City police officer. She was the first of her family to be born in the U.S. and was raised in Gainesville her entire life. She just recently adopted Dusk; who will serve with GPD as a therapy dog.
We want to thank Jessica for spending time with us recently and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County.
Question: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I’ve been doing martial arts my entire life and through it met a lot of people in law enforcement that always encouraged me to look into becoming an officer or a member of the military. I’ve always just felt drawn to it.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “I love Mexican and Italian food, but I don’t have a specific favorite restaurant.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I’ve lived here my whole life and started working here 12 years ago.”
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: “I loved making mud pies and playing in the kiddy pool in my backyard.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “I would go to Vietnam or Thailand.”
Q: What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
A: “I think I saw ‘The NeverEnding Story’ a lot when it first came out.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “Always be kind, even if you’re having a bad day.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I would love to train Muay Thai in Thailand.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Broadway music, reggaeton, and classical music.”
Q: What local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County and why?
A: “The Collegiate Grill; it has a very 1950s diner look to it.”
Q: Choosing anyone (past or present and a non-relative), with whom would you love to have lunch?
A: “Rosalind Franklin; I love how she really broke the barriers of restrictions on women, especially in the science field.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “It’s very versatile; it’s a hub for everything.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A: “I will still be at this agency and hopefully have a lot more travel time and overall skills, experience, and knowledge.”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I like show tunes and Disney movies.”
Q: What three words mean “Home” to you?
A: “Comfort. Love. Safety.”
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “Gina Carano; I just think she’s really cool.”
Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose?
A: “I would have one of my best friends, Kevin, be my sidekick.”
