‘One of those super-kids’: Three high school graduates share their stories

It is time to celebrate.

All three area high schools, Juneau-Douglas High School, Thunder Mountain High School and Yaakoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School will be hold their graduation ceremonies throughout the day Sunday.

Yaakoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School will kick-off festivities at 1 p.m. at Centennial Hall where 40 seniors will walk across the stage.

Juneau-Douglas will take the stage at the high school gymnasium at 4 p.m where 135 seniors will graduate.

Finally, at the Thunder Mountain High School gymnasium, 160 graduates will don their cap and gowns at the 7 p.m. ceremony.

Through recommendations of staff at each of the schools, the Empire is profiling a graduate from each school.

Sabrina Jones (Juneau-Douglas High School)

Sabrina Jones loves biology and plans on studying it further at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She said she may not have gone that direction without the help of Juneau-Douglas science teacher Jonathan Smith.

“Mr. Smith is extremely passionate about science and he teaches in a way that commands the respect that I have not found with any other teacher,” Jones said. “I would not have the passion for science without him. He is my favorite teacher.”

Jones explained that Smith’s biology class earlier in her high school career guided her toward her favorite subject. From there she decided to take Advanced Placement Biology where she focused on shrimp to help her understand the brain. Smith said she looked at neurological effects on the shrimp brain and how it impacted their metabolic rate. Jones said she did not have a large enough of a sample size to get a true measurement of her study, but it piqued her interest in the brain and how it works. She said she enjoys studying the brain because there is so much left to understand.

“I started reading into the brain because it is the organ that most affects our lives, yet we do not know much about it,” Jones said. “It is right up there with gravity on how much, or how little, we understand it.”

Smith said he taught Jones in two classes and said she always strived to go beyond the normal in her studies.

“She has always pushed herself,” Smith said. “She has done the kind of stuff that leads to graduate work in college. She was also great about being a leader and a follower. Some students are not always capable of doing both, but she was.”

Jones said in 10th grade she thought about being a neuroscientist, but has decided to possibly take a more research-based route. Smith said she still wants to focus on the brain in her career.

“I want to go into more archaic brain studies or commercial research,” Jones said. “Basically, I think I would like to get into drug development.”

Lake Siner (Thunder Mountain High School)

Lake Siner did not take his art class very seriously as a freshman.

But, after a dream during the summer between his freshman and sophomore years, Siner changed his thoughts on the class and what he decided what he wanted to focus his life on. Siner will be graduating Sunday as an award-winner potter with hopes of becoming an art teacher.

“It is funny because at first I and Ms. Imboden really butted heads a lot,” Siner said. “But then during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I had a dream where she handed me something and I realized I needed to take art again. I felt bad I had put her through stuff and I wanted to be a really good student.”

Art teacher Angela Imboden, Siner said, has been the major reason he has found his path.

“Art helped me in life,” Siner said in the TMHS art room. “It helped me figure out who I am what I want to do with my life. I cannot say enough about Ms. Imboden.”

Siner has won several awards for his ceramics, including winning Best of Show in the 2017 All-State Art Competition for his lids.

“The end of his freshman year something changed,” Imboden said. “The pieces he was turning out looked like he had been doing pottery most of his life.”

Imboden’s teaching has impacted Siner’s life so much that he said he would not only like to study art in college but pursue a teaching career.

“My ultimate goal is to teach,” Siner said. “Art helps so many kids in so many ways and I want kids to express their joy through art.”

Jacob Johnson (Yaakoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School)

Jacob Johnson admits his priorities may not have been in order during his early high school years at Juneau-Douglas High School.

Johnson said he excelled in math before starting high school, but started to fall behind. Johnson said he lost friends and motivation during this time.

Counselors at both JDHS and Yaakoosgé noticed that he was struggling and offered encouragement.

“It shows to me that the teachers and counselors actual want to help you,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he switched to Yaakoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School before his senior year helped to help him narrow down his focus and allow him to regain the confidence in school he once had. He said the benefits of going to Yaakoosgé Daakahídi also played a role in his decision.

“We can get scholarships for being in the top 5 percent of the school here and I would not have been able to do that at JDHS,” Johnson said.

Johnson wants to go to college. He plans on attending the University of Alaska Southeast for a year. He said people have recommended different fields of study that involve math and science.

“I know I want to go to college,” Johnson said. “I want to go to UAS and study there for a year. I think I would like engineering or marine biology, but that could change.”

Yaakoosgé Daakahídi teacher/advisor Ed Becker said Johnson’s heart and drive will help guide him through his life.

“He has got a vision,” Becker said. “He is going somewhere, he just does not know exactly where yet. He realizes training and education is part of it. He is one of those super-kids.”

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• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.

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