Jessica Berube’s roots are deeply entrenched on Oak Street, nestled just a stone’s throw away from Pesci Park.

Her childhood memories are woven with summers spent at
the park, where she immersed herself in arts and crafts, swam, swung bats on the baseball diamond, dribbled basketballs, and chased after soccer balls.

The Park and Rec Department’s diverse offerings became her endless playground. But it wasn’t only the summer activities that evoked joy in Jessica; winters held an equally enchanting allure.

She embraced the frosty season gliding across the ice rink that was erected each year.

Jessica was raised by her father. She fondly shares her treasured “park rat” days with her younger brother, Sonny (Emile). Jessica attributes a substantial portion of her character to those formative years she spent at the park.

Her Oak Street upbringing played an integral role in sculpting the remarkable person she has become.

Jessica joined a boy’s hockey team, the Northern Connecticut Flyers, at about age 13.

In her second season, a coach from the Connecticut Polar Bears, an all-girls hockey team, talked to her father, and Jessica joined the Polar Bears. Jessica played 6 years for the Polar Bears.

She is remembered as a scorer and team leader playing predominantly against boys teams.

The Polar Bears did compete against the best girls’ team from the US and Canada in the National Championship Tournament every year.

As a freshman and sophomore at WLHS, she earned varsity letters in three sports, boldly showcasing her versatility.

On the soccer field, she guarded the goalposts. She made
all conference her sophomore year. On the basketball court, Jessica masterfully assumed the pivotal role of point guard. On the softball diamond, she was All-NCCC as a catcher and brandished her bat as the formidable clean-up hitter under the tutelage of 2008 Hall of
Fame inductee, Pat Scelza.

With the help of her Polar Bear’s coach and her desire to elevate her hockey game, Jessica enrolled at Kingswood Oxford in her junior year.

She lettered in soccer, softball and ice hockey in both her junior and senior years.

In her senior year at KO, she embraced the role of team captain in hockey. Playing defense, Jess emerged as the team’s leading scorer in her junior and senior years. She scored 34 goals her senior year playing as a
defensive stalwart.

In her 20’s, she played for Team Connecticut, an all-woman team that won a national championship in 2002. Jessica, again playing as a defenseman, was nonetheless the team’s leading scorer.

Jessica continues to pursue her passion for hockey. In April 2023, she competed in all 5 games in a tournament in France as the only woman on the team.

Among her most cherished memories is the heart-pounding victory she secured in a shoot-to-win contest during a Hartford Whalers game. In an astonishing display of unparalleled skill and unwavering focus, she managed to net five pucks in the goal within five seconds. As a reward for this monumental feat, she was gifted with two round-trip tickets to “anywhere,” a gift she chose to share with her father, embarking on an
unforgettable journey to Paris.

Today Jessica resides in Idaho. She owns and operates Cozy Little Cabin, LLC, a GETAWAY TO PARADISE!