Written by: Bailey Hemphill
Young Hero: Jonathan Halstead
J
onathan Halstead, 15, goes to school at Millard West High School. His mom, Kim, describes him as caring, funny, and helpful.
“Jonathan cares about everyone he meets,” she says. “He builds many relationships with people of all ages…[from] older men who have taught him to hunt, and fix cars [to] younger boys who look up to him as role model or a big brother.” Kim adds that Jonathan is also very close with his older sister, Stephanie, who goes to college at Grace University. “They are best friends. They both were voted No. 1 counselors at church camp last summer [because] they’re hilarious together.”
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According to Kim, Jonathan is a young hero because he always puts other people first. “He does what needs to be done, even if that means he has to sacrifice something,” she says. Last summer, Jonathan was a volunteer camp counselor and was asked to supervise 10 boys, including some with special needs. By the end of the camp, the youth director was amazed with Jonathan’s leadership skills during his time working with the boys. “It was obviously a job for many counselors, but he took care of them and always maintained a positive attitude.” Kim recalls another good example of her son’s helpfulness from a year ago when a pastor from a North Omaha church asked Jonathan to light a prayer garden with white Christmas lights. “He single-handedly organized this project, asking people from our church to donate lights and volunteer to help him hang the lights. It was beautiful.” With this same North Omaha church, Jonathan eventually organized and planned his Eagle Scout project. For his project, he ran a weekend camp experience for boys who had never been camping. “He wanted to build relationships between the North Omaha boys and scouts from the Millard area. He took the boys out from a camping experience to do work and have fun together.” After seeing her son’s dedication to helping others, Kim believes her son is a good role model for others. “He is very grounded in his Christian faith. He chooses to go to Bible study and other church activities rather than choosing non-productive or harmful activities.” Kim says that Jonathan inspires her because of his work ethic in school, his positive attitude in life, and his constant desire to help people. “He wants to make a difference in the world,” she says.
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