Imagine your body needs phosphorus, like you need fuel to run a car. However, your body is losing too much of that fuel, making it hard for your bones to grow and stay strong. This is what happens when you have X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH): the bone disease Jordin has had to endure.

Not only has she had multiple surgeries on her legs to help straighten them, but she was also accepted into a clinical trial. During the clinical trial, which lasted for three years, she and her family had to fly to St. Louis every other week, meaning she was missing a significant amount of school. 

When she was able to make it to class, she often slept during recess, exhausted from the travel. She was falling behind in reading and math, doing as much at home as possible, eventually excelling in state testing. As a junior and senior, she was taking AP classes and plans to attend college where she can pursue a medical degree.

She wrote, “As much as I would like a clean health history, my story was created by the diagnosis. I continue to take injections and have voluntarily entered another trial. My trips are fewer, but it is important to give back to medical science for the future of kids diagnosed with XLH. I was never defined by the disease, but the disease gave me definition.”

We are proud of Jordin for opening up about her journey and allowing us to share it with all of you.

Each year, we select one student as our Student of the Year. This is never an easy choice as so many students have had to overcome difficult obstacles. However, after reading this story of perseverance, we knew it was the one. We have selected Jordin Crow as our Student of The Year and she will be receiving a $5000 scholarship. Congratulations!

Some people only read about resilience, but he lived it. 

Steven shared how his journey to adoption taught him firsthand how to overcome obstacles in life. He was with seven foster families before he found his forever home. He wrote, “Growing up in foster care, I understand the importance of resilience and determination. Statistics show that only 1% of children from foster care attend college and graduate, highlighting the uphill battle foster youth face.”

What if you had just one year to prove yourself, and on top of that everything about the school system was new? That was the reality for Jesus as he shared his journey from Mexico to the United States, knowing he wanted to study his senior year in the U.S. 

He wrote, “I joined high school without knowing English that well but that didn’t stop me from taking 4 AP classes.” His goal was to do everything he could in one short year so he would stand out on college applications. He worked hard, catching up on tests that others took in their junior year. He also joined the National Honor Society and the Student Volunteer Group.

Jesus ended his essay with this, “…being so close to graduating I see how far I’ve traveled since I started last year, and this lets me know that if you are committed to your goals and your plans you will be able to achieve it. It doesn’t matter if you couldn’t start when everyone else did, you can still do it if you commit to it.”

Joining a symphonic band wasn’t just about playing music–it became a test of patience, skill, and self-belief. 

In 8th grade, Lillian thought it was just another high school class, but soon found out it was much more challenging. An audition was required to be accepted into the class, so Lillian practiced for weeks and recorded many videos before submitting her audition tape. When she was notified she had been accepted, she was overjoyed and realized she was one of only three freshmen.

However, it was much harder than she had ever imagined. The music was faster and took more time to learn and master. Even though she wanted to give up, she didn’t, and proved to herself she could do it. Ultimately, she competed in a solo ensemble with another musician, and they got the highest rating possible. She stated that through this experience, she has learned to be able to adapt to new situations.

What do you do when the person you’re trying to make proud, is suddenly gone?

Noah shared his struggle with losing his mother. A week before her passing, she was in a medically induced coma where he watched her body slowly change. Saying goodbye was something he wasn’t ready to do and didn’t know how. When he returned to school, he struggled even more. School didn’t feel important to him, despite being pushed and helped along the way. Slowly, his GPA dropped. As his senior year approached, Noah realized he needed to put in more effort to prove to himself he could do it.

He wrote, “I want to make my mom proud. Putting in the effort and making something of myself to honor her is something that I strive for… to tell her that I made it, despite everything.”

Imagine starting your life in a place with no beds, no playground, and no certainty–just a dirt floor and a will to survive. 

Khee shared his journey from a refugee camp in Thailand, to where he is today: thriving and headed to college. His memory is fuzzy, but he recalls sleeping on the ground in a school that looked like a shed. He lived there for the first five years of his life and believes it helped shape him as a person. 

There was a group of soldiers that hid him and his family in the backs of trucks, giving them bags in case they got sick since they had never been in a vehicle before. Khee was with his father, whom he watched pass out on the drive. Once they made it to the United States, he had no clue on what was going to happen. He went to school, but didn’t know English so he struggled a lot. Eventually, Khee’s family fell apart, which led to his sisters and him being put up for adoption and separated. After some time, they found a loving couple that took in all four siblings so they could be together again.

He wrote, “even though I had a hard past, I am still learning a lot and I am excited to learn more. I may be a slower learner, but I can learn just as much as anyone else. I am thankful for the chance to be in the US and have another opportunity to live again.”

To her classmates, it looked like she was getting special attention. What they didn’t see was the pain behind every movement.

Tessa shared how her life began as a normal child: playing with friends and having sleepovers. Then, when she was 8, life changed when her joints became swollen and painful. She was diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease and often had inflammation in her eyes. She has become immune to the medications, therefore changing medications often. She had to deal with nausea, fatigue, and hair loss, all of which she was too embarrassed about, so she tried to hide it from her friends.

She pushed herself to go to school but would end up sleeping while others were learning. She had an aid to help her write since her hands were too swollen to even hold a pencil. Eventually, kids started to pick on her, feeling that she was getting special attention. However, they didn’t know what she was going through, and her teacher asked her to share with the class so they could understand, and ultimately many of them apologized for their behavior.

For many years she has struggled with staying on top of schoolwork and social anxiety, but with the help of others she put herself out there. She would like to pursue a degree in social work so she can help others reach their highest potential.

Some experiences split your life in two: who you were before, and who you become after.

Lauren shared her struggles with losing her brother and the ups and downs it brought. She was on a roller coaster of emotions, sickness, and problems in school. Eventually, her parents decided it was best to change schools. When she first arrived at Lakeview High School, she felt like an outsider not knowing anyone. She was determined to have this be a different experience than at her previous school. She joined the student council, the girls golf team, and ultimately gave it her all to be active in school and with her peers. Lauren decided to live her life to the fullest in honor of her brother who lost his.

Some losses never leave you, but neither does the love behind them.

Savannah shared her journey of losing her father halfway through her freshman year. As life continued, she struggled personally but always remembered he was watching and wouldn’t want her to give up.

She wrote, “I was able to find success by pushing myself forward and putting my energy into schoolwork. I found motivation that my father is still here with me, watching over me and protecting me. I have learned a lot in my personal development; it has made me persevere. I will forever miss my dad but knowing I’m going to receive my diploma is going to make him proud and make the future worth living”.

We fully believe he is watching down on her tonight as we award her this scholarship.

Some decisions change your life, hers saved it.

Mercedes shared her struggle to make the decision at 15 to leave the place she had known as home since she was 5 years old. She left her family, her friends, and the comfort of familiarity. However, the environment she was in was not a healthy one for her. Her aunt saw the need to help her and offered her a home in Michigan. She accepted and has been able to attend her Junior and Senior year in a more stable environment. She is grateful for the opportunity she was given and has been working on herself and her relationships.

12 years old. New state. No friends. A global pandemic shutting the world down.

Bethany shared her struggles with not only relocating states but doing so during COVID. Imaging being 12 and finding out you are leaving your friends and life as you knew it to be. Now, imagine making this move during COVID. You don’t know your surroundings, you have no friends, and your mental health has plummeted from prolonged isolation and an unknown environment. 

In her essay, she wrote, “I was really struggling, it felt like I was being suffocated, I was in a constant state of stress and fear.” However, she pushed through by thriving in school, and was able to break out of her shell and make new friends. She says, “… the hardships I faced motivated me to persevere through challenges and find success- a life lesson I will carry with me.”