Chief Cat Herder and Grammar Guardian
Jessica Worrell
From day one, Jess had a knack for order—coordinating bookshelf layouts, scheduling playtime, and wondering why no one else followed proper color-coding etiquette.
After making a career in the classroom, she retired from formal teaching to homeschool her kids—a job with way fewer staff meetings and way more snack breaks.
She now keeps things running smoothly at Bright Matter as a project manager and copy editor, juggling deadlines, semicolons, and the occasional existential dilemma over hyphenation.
When she’s not herding commas, due dates, or children, you’ll find her lounging with her family, cheering on the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team, getting lost in a book, or making obscure movie references in the hope someone—anyone—gets the reference.
Favorite movie set in a school: I love Never Been Kissed. I’m not the biggest Drew Barrymore fan, but I relate so much to Josie Grossie—seriously, even my parents used to call me “Messy Jessie” (I still shudder at the thought). It’s such a genuinely light-hearted romcom, and one I could watch with my mom and sister over and over again.
Fictional teacher I wish I had: Mr. George Feeny from Boy Meets World is, hands down, the greatest teacher of all time. He’s the perfect blend of heart and high standards—guiding with wisdom, challenging with integrity, and always showing up with that quiet, unwavering love for his students. "I love you all. Class dismissed." Every. Single. Time. Ugly crying. If you know, you know.
Favorite class of all time: I took a class in high school called American Studies, co-taught by an English teacher and a history teacher. It seamlessly blended the two disciplines, revealing how deeply literature and history influence each other. We listened to iconic music, analyzed powerful speeches, revisited major historical milestones, explored popular TV shows and comic books, and poured over meaningful works of literature. Much of my passion for both literature and history (not to mention Bob Dylan and CCR) can be traced back to that one extraordinary class.
After making a career in the classroom, she retired from formal teaching to homeschool her kids—a job with way fewer staff meetings and way more snack breaks.
She now keeps things running smoothly at Bright Matter as a project manager and copy editor, juggling deadlines, semicolons, and the occasional existential dilemma over hyphenation.
When she’s not herding commas, due dates, or children, you’ll find her lounging with her family, cheering on the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team, getting lost in a book, or making obscure movie references in the hope someone—anyone—gets the reference.
Favorite movie set in a school: I love Never Been Kissed. I’m not the biggest Drew Barrymore fan, but I relate so much to Josie Grossie—seriously, even my parents used to call me “Messy Jessie” (I still shudder at the thought). It’s such a genuinely light-hearted romcom, and one I could watch with my mom and sister over and over again.
Fictional teacher I wish I had: Mr. George Feeny from Boy Meets World is, hands down, the greatest teacher of all time. He’s the perfect blend of heart and high standards—guiding with wisdom, challenging with integrity, and always showing up with that quiet, unwavering love for his students. "I love you all. Class dismissed." Every. Single. Time. Ugly crying. If you know, you know.
Favorite class of all time: I took a class in high school called American Studies, co-taught by an English teacher and a history teacher. It seamlessly blended the two disciplines, revealing how deeply literature and history influence each other. We listened to iconic music, analyzed powerful speeches, revisited major historical milestones, explored popular TV shows and comic books, and poured over meaningful works of literature. Much of my passion for both literature and history (not to mention Bob Dylan and CCR) can be traced back to that one extraordinary class.
