Written by: Bailey Hemphill • Photo by: Natalie Jensen Photography
Young Hero: Jadon Edwards
J
adon Edwards, 10, goes to Willa Cather Elementary in the Millard Public Schools district. He has two older sisters; and although he’s surrounded by women, his mom, Paige, says “[Jadon] gets us.” Paige describes her son as gregarious, generous, and goal-oriented. “He has a huge amount of energy and brings that energy into any room he walks into…He is always willing to give—whether it be buying someone a gift, bringing me a glass of water while I’m working, or just helping carry my groceries in…[and he] is motivated by achieving goals,” she says. Jadon wasn’t always an achiever though—he had to learn it the tough way. Throughout elementary school, he consistently started off behind the learning curve because he didn’t believe in his abilities as a student. “It seemed as if the first parent/teacher conference was always highlighted with what he needed to work on,” Paige says. “At this time, Jadon wasn’t motivated by good grades. I told him that he might not care, but I cared for him and he was going to do the work.” Jadon didn’t like the pressure from his mom, and he often challenged her until she figured out what motivated him. “In 3rd grade, I found out that if I attached rewards to his extra work, then it took the fight out of it. I will admit I paid him for the goals he met…if I needed him to do something—learn his flashcards, finish a project, read a book every day—I used that to my advantage. I got him to work on his reading by paying him a dollar a day to read.” By the end of the summer, Paige said Jadon had $100. “It worked, and quite honestly, he earned it.”
Toward the end of 3rd grade, Jadon started to “get it.” After all of his effort and time—and Paige’s constant motivation—Jadon graduated from his reading program. By the time Jadon finished 4th grade, he had straight As and was asked to take the High Ability Learner (HAL) test. “I cannot tell you what accomplishing those two things did for his ego. He is starting his 5th grade year with some lofty goals; but this time, they are his goals,” Paige says. Jadon is a great example for other kids who are struggling in school because he has shown that anything is possible with hard work. “He never gave up,” Paige adds. “He went from feeling not very smart to a braniac!” Paige says her son inspires her to never give up. “He literally set the bar low for himself because he didn’t believe in himself; but when it clicked that he was more capable than he thought, he accomplished and exceeded the goals he set for himself. It’s a great reminder that accomplishSPECTRUM ment is motivating.”
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Family Spectrum and Omaha Storm Chasers would like to honor your Young Hero. Send nominations to Bailey@OmahaPublications.com. • readonlinenow.com October 2012 • • • •
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