This is the story of Jadon’s journey from disengaged learner to aspiring medical professional.
By Michael Reagan
When I first met him, Jadon wasn’t terribly excited by much. His interests were few and he was short on internal motivation. Years later, during his Curation of Me presentation, Jadon reflected on the transformational ripple effect he experienced at One Stone, the growth of his STEM mindset, and his overall confidence and well being. Jadon graduated from One Stone in June of 2020.
During his first year at One Stone, he was empowered to pursue an emerging curiosity for knife making. Jadon spent hours in the Foundry, One Stone’s makerspace, exploring the art, science, mathematics, and culture of knives with precision and zeal. During his summer experience of 2018, Jadon pursued this singular career interest by apprenticing with a professional knife maker. He quickly decided making knives wasn’t actually what he wanted to do, but in the process, he also learned how to learn. He learned how to be curious.
Jadon’s passion for knives quickly turned into a passion for medical biology, which he pursued through a flurry of medically-related learning experiences. These include the NOLS WFA, a wilderness first aid training program; The Lab, a course designed to learn and practice scientific methods to drive inquiry-based investigations; a hands-on tour of the VA Hospital, where he learned to suture a wound; and The Brain, a course exploring the basic neuroanatomy and physiology of the brain. In this learning experience, Jadon gained a basic understanding of neuronal cell signaling, and relevant application of neuroscience in varying subjects based on student interest in pharmacology, psychology, and neurodegenerative disease. In his final project, he successfully synthesized complex research on the topics of anxiety and paranoia.
His first aid training and passion for medicine led to another rich summer experience in 2019: living in the Dominican Republic on his own for 40 days, while volunteering 40 hours per week as a nurse’s assistant in an emergency room. Working alongside doctors and nurses, he typically shadowed and aided in the treatment cuts and infections, but he recalls two traumatic experiences that demonstrate his maturity and responsibility. First, he helped remove the clothes of a hospital groundskeeper whose leg was severely injured after being hit by a bus. Second, he performed manual chest compressions for three or four minutes during a power outage on an unconscious heart attack patient. When the power returned, the patient regained consciousness with the help of the defibrillator. Through this life-changing summer experience, Jadon feels a deep connection to helping others. His travels have inspired him to better understand the world, while truly helping people in need.
It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Jadon as his advisor over the past three years. Jadon’s story with STEM is an ideal example how we can use passion as a skill and pursue life with meaning, purpose, and confidence.
