Jesse St. James was a senior at Carmel High School in Carmel, Ohio, where he was the lead singer of the powerhouse high school glee club Vocal Adrenaline, the main rivals of New Directions. Jesse was such a star that he is able to get somebody else to take his classes due to him being busy with Vocal Adrenaline. However, he soon catches the eye of his counterpart in New Directions Rachel Berry.