Jackson Kai and I share 2nd and 5th period at Capital High School. He’s easy to find and easy to talk to. When I thought about who to interview for this project, I knew I wanted to get to know better someone I spent 2 hours a day with for roughly 180 days.
Once we began chatting, Jackson stated how his plans after high school are to go to college and major in communications. Not only is this interesting but it makes sense as our conversation was going well. His ease at talking put me at ease and I was the one conducting the interview.
Jackson explained that his reason for majoring in communications is because it will give him a degree and a plan for his future. Communications is a degree he needs to follow his dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, in his future. This is impressive, considering that I’m still thinking about my life plans. Jack comes across confident in his future plans for someone still getting ready to graduate from high school.
Jack is not only clear about his life plans, but he’s also clear about his priorities. He is passionate about his family as they support him in his other passion, sports. Jack grew up playing sports, mainly baseball. He recently finished his final season of competitive baseball where he was a key part in bringing Capital High School’s baseball team to the State tournament for the first time since 2019. Having this kind of first hand experience with success will set him up well to remember what it feels like to work hard, focus, and succeed in his future career as a sports broadcaster.
A fellow CHS baseball player added, anonymously, that Jack is a quiet, team player who stepped up when another player got hurt at the beginning of the year to play another position.
Life lessons happen all the time. The most insignificant moment can bring the most profound understanding. When Jack was 11, he fell off a swing right before a state tournament for baseball and broke his wrist. What he learned from that is to be and think smarter and to be more aware of his surroundings and how dangerous things can be. Living int he moment is good but not if it removes you from future opportunities.
One of Jack’s favorite memories about school will be just being able to see his friends on a daily basis. He states how it makes you as a person feel better when you’re able to see your friends everyday and put a smile on your face, and overall give him another reason to show up to school everyday. This comment made me realize that after school, whenever I want to see a friend, I will now have to work hard at it. Schedules will need to be shared, transportation figured out and location to meet. As great as this sounds, no more high school hall pass and what not, it’ll all be on us to figure this out. A slice of adulthood creeping in as we venture on to our next chapter in life.
So much of our next chapter will be on us. We will recreate structures in our life with work, classes, hobbies, travel but we will be making them as opposed to having them imposed on us. It’s a good reminder to put into action all those life lessons we hear about being sure to make time. Live your life or life will live you, kind of mentality. Real life will take over if you let it and when it’s all said and done, you won’t want regrets that you didn’t make time for what makes you happy.
Jack’s favorite class was financial algebra with Mrs. McFadden, because she is a really good person and easy to talk to. I personally have this class as well with Jack in 2nd period, and that class just never fails to make a person smile. Mrs. McFadden always is understanding and helpful too. Another class that Jack likes is Strength Training with Mr. Mickelson, he’s had this class all throughout high school and states how he has learned a lot not just from the class but also the teacher as well.
One piece of advice Jack would give to his 9th grade self is to not get too behind early on in high school, do what you need to do, show up but also have fun while doing it. It’s a lot harder to pass when you fall behind rather than being all caught up.
