Trivia Quiz:
Nighthawk Jadon Johnson stands out as a Natomas High School role model because the 17-year-old senior is:
A) An honor roll student taking three Advanced Placement (AP) classes this year
B) NUSD’s student representative on the Board of Trustees
C) A member of Natomas High’s Link Crew, consisting of upper classmen providing mentoring and support to freshmen students
D) A football star who won all-league honors, was selected as an honorable mention to the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro team, and was chosen to play in the Optimist High School All-Star Game later this month
E) All of above
If you chose “E,” step to the front of the class and take a bow.
Jadon was among a select group of students chosen recently by Natomas High School as reflecting the District’s Board-approved Vision of college and career preparedness, responsibility, productivity, and engagement.
“Jadon is the kind of student-athlete you want in your classroom, you want on your team, and you want as a leader to others,” said Don DeRosa, Nighthawk football coach.
His “incredibly positive attitude” is respected by peers, DeRosa said. “He is the guy that players seek out for help and tutelage … “He makes others want to be better.”
Jadon loves to challenge himself and he’s not afraid of failure – in the classroom or the gridiron, bring it on.
“I feel I can’t be successful without challenging myself,” he said. “My Dad tells me that sometimes you have to fail to be successful – success comes from failure, so academics is a strong part of my life. I try to stay focused and stay on top of my work.”
Jadon – who describes himself as an “outgoing, goofy kind of guy” — wants to attend college next year, play football, and major in Kinesiology for a future career as a physical therapist. He has applied to UCLA, San Diego State and San Jose State universities. Southern Oregon and Western Oregon universities are possibilities as well.
Jadon’s family has been a big influence on his life, serving as role models, driving him to push hard, emphasizing right from wrong, and “just being there for me,” he said. He lives with his father, mother, grandmother, and two brothers. (Another brother has an apartment of his own.)
“I really don’t have a lot of spare time. but the spare time I do have, I try to spend with my family and enjoy every day,” Jadon said. “You can have the worst day and you come home, to your family, and they can make you feel great.”
At Natomas High, Jadon said he has learned to be open to new things, to listen closely, and to appreciate people of all religions and nationalities. Besides football, he has competed in track for the Nighthawks.
“I came here and I love it,” he said of Natomas High. “As soon as I stepped on campus, it’s a beautiful campus and I loved the atmosphere, teachers, students, sports … It’s a blessing, really, that we have so much culture walking around the school.”
