Meet Jessica Estes, a real go-getter with a great big heart

Jessica Estes, practice manager at Leet EyeCare in Cape Girardeau, was raised in Scott City and recently built her own home in nearby Jackson. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, she also earned her MBA from McKendree University in December. She's a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, has taken mission trips to Jamaica and Haiti, and is involved in the Catholic Campus Ministry at Southeast Missouri State University. Jessica is also active in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce and is the adopted human of Lucy, a rescue dog from the Humane Society. She counts her mother Sandy Estes among her best friends, and is also very close to her brother Andrew Estes, sister-in-law Ashley Estes and two young nieces, Layla and Ava. Here's what else you need to know about Jessica Estes, a real go-getter with a great big heart:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Perfect happiness to me is found in the little things: coffee with my best friend Ashton on the front porch before work, snuggling with my nieces, getting a phone call from my Grandma Mary, going for a run and the only sound I hear is my feet hitting the pavement. Happiness is a choice. I try to wake up and choose to be happy.

You're stranded on a desert island -- what three items do you really hope to have with you?

Is a private plane with a pilot, a cooler of cold beer and a bathing suit an acceptable answer? Let's be honest, I wouldn't survive a day on a deserted island ...

What is your biggest fear?

Not fulfilling God's purpose for me in life. Christ is the center of my life and striving to be the best Jessica Estes I can be is terrifying, stressful and exciting. I don't want to get to the end and think I should have done more with all of the many blessings He has given me.

Your all-time favorite book, movie and song:

Book: "Oh the Places You'll Go" By Dr. Seuss. Movie: "It's a Wonderful Life." Song: "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show (sorry, Darius Rucker), "Fancy" by Reba McIntire -- quite the musical spectrum there!

What talent would you most like to have?

I would love to have a photographic memory. I have the memory of a goldfish. I lock my keys in the car or in my office at least once a week. Just having a better memory in general would be great!

Describe your dream vacation:

I would love to backpack through Europe. Literally just pack whatever I can in a backpack and jump on a plane. I would want to land in Rome and start the adventure there. My life is so structured and planned that doing the exact opposite for a month would be an absolute dream!

What makes a good friend?

My friends make me laugh until my stomach hurts, are up for any adventure, believe in my sometimes crazy dreams, listen to me cry when I need it, and offer advice when I don't want to hear it. Great friends stick by your side through it all -- not just the fun stuff. They are there for the heartbreak and the times when you are on Cloud Nine. God has blessed me with some of the greatest people on the planet. I'm a lucky girl.

Who do you most admire in life and why?

My mother. I know that's the standard answer for most young women, but I mean it with every ounce of my being. My mother has taught me what tough love is and what true love is. She is the most compassionate person I have ever met. She is the strongest and most beautiful person in the universe. She knows me better than I know myself. She makes me want to be a better woman. We have a bond that I don't think most women have with their mothers. We have shared heartache together and also shared some of life's greatest moments. I can honestly say she is my best friend.

What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

My biggest achievement so far in life is how far I've come both professionally and personally. I've built my own home, attained my MBA and hold an upper management position with one of the most successful businesses in the area -- all at the age of 28. I'm pretty proud of who I've "grown up" to be.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

From my mother: "No matter what happens in life, the sun is going to get up tomorrow -- and so should you."

What style or beauty tips do you swear by?

Essie nail polish -- Ballet Slippers

What's your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

I am very active, so there are many things I like to accomplish on a Saturday. I'm fortunate to have my best friends right next door who I like to start off the morning with coffee. Then going for a run and coming home and doing yard work. I enjoy working on my yard and making improvements or doing projects. I also love entertaining my friends. A perfect Saturday would end with friends coming over to BBQ and play card games or yard games well into the evening.