When Hillcrest High School senior Hayden B. Jackson was in third grade, some doctors, teachers and others told his parents that his learning differences meant that he likely wouldn’t attend college or even reach a sixth-grade education level.
Those who love a good underdog story — and parents of students with learning differences — will cheer to hear about his accomplishments. Jackson received a four-year scholarship valued at more than $200,000 to attend Green Mountain College in Vermont. His essay on how he helped found The Environmental League at Hillcrest, which brought together students from various high schools to clean up a nearby polluted pond, earned him the First in Sustainability Scholarship Award.
“Students like Hayden give us hope for the future,” says Robert Allen, president of Green Mountain College. “He is exactly the kind of young leader the world needs: informed, enthused and purposeful about ensuring a more sustainable world.”
Jackson says he became inspired on a bluff in Big Bend at 2 a.m. “I hope to inspire other teens to explore their environment in life,” he says.
Jackson, who would like to establish some chapters of his club in Vermont, is interested in running cross country and playing lacrosse in college. He plans to major in Adventure Education and Wildlife/Forest Conservation.
