“He is just as amazing as a son as he is a student and an athlete,” quoted the mother of this Doherty High School junior. Ja’Kobi is a highly intelligent student, a decorated athlete, and still makes time to have fun and give back to his community. He was recognized early by being selected as student of the month for 2 of his 3 years at Jenkins Middle School. In high school, he has shown promising athletic ability while still possessing a 4.5 GPA. Ja’Kobi has lettered twice in football and academics, but his greatest athletic skill has been shown through shotput. Just last summer, he became a junior Olympian and finished 5th in his region! He strives to excel in shotput at a D1 college and wants to ensure he goes to a university that is “intellectually stimulating” as well.

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Ja’Kobi is inspired by Katherine Johnson to be a strong black man in science. He credits his mom for helping him learn his times tables in elementary school. Shortly after, he became obsessed with sequences of numbers and how he could connect them to science. Along with some encouragement from watching Neil Degrass Tyson lessons on TV, Ja’Kobi has decided that he would like to become an astrophysicist and write new theories to explain what we see in space. He feels so blessed to see his parents put in the blood, sweat, and tears to reach their goals every day, and knows that his hard work will get him to his goals.

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Outside of academics, Ja’Kobi still finds time to give back. He is part of the black student union at his school and really enjoys helping other black students “feel appreciated and loved” by creating spirit days for them to participate in and enjoy. He understands that “it’s hard to fit in and belong when you don’t see yourself” in conservative white spaces. He gives this same passion to the Culture Club, which helps him and others learn about various cultures and introduces them to other students at his school. He also participates in “Partners for PE,” which assists special needs children in doing activities. Lastly, Ja’Kobi also gives back to his community by serving seniors. He helps them with groceries, by walking their dogs, and any other ways to support the seniors in his community.

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Ja’Kobi finds joy in participating in theater for some fun! His mother was a thespian and showed him that theater is another way to connect with others. This year, he has the lead role in the play “10 Ways to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse!” We’re so proud of Ja’Kobi and look forward to watching his journey to college!