Student Spotlight: Jourdon Simmons ’17

April Gonzales, Creative Director

Jourdon Simmons is a junior at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. He may seem like an average kid who walks down the hallways and blends in with the rest. That is wrong. Everyone at WY has some sort of quality that makes them special. Jourdon, in this case, is an artist. He spends his day at school being a creative singer, tuba player and club president. Some will ask the question, “what makes you special?” What makes him special is his diversity. “I represent the diversity at this school. I’m of a very diverse community and I’m a club president.”

“I’m in Pride Club and the Wind Ensemble. I am also president of the club, Harmonyx,” he says. Pride Club associates with the entire LGBT community and accepts them for what they do. Wind Ensemble is the top band in the whole school and Harmonyx is the school’s glee club, where they plan out songs to sing and end the year with a show. He may have a passion to be an artist but he also enjoys other school subjects such as Physics II. One of his dream jobs is to be a roller coaster designer.

All of the work Jourdon has put into making WY a successful place had also paid off. “I have been working hard, taking initiative, staying on top of stuff and working on our show for Harmonyx.” Jourdon believes that doing all those things can make you very just and it is what he strives for.

Nothing is ever easy, especially if one is working hard to achieve excellence. “My most difficult class was English III last year with Mr. Scotese. I worked really hard,” he claims. “I do, however regret not taking World History my freshman year so I could get it out of the way. My hardest struggle at the moment would be planning the show for Harmonyx and getting better grades.”

When the tough day ends, Jourdon goes out and expresses himself, usually by spending time with friends and club members from Harmonyx. “I love going to Wicker Park, it’s a nice neighborhood. I either go around there shopping with friends or I just sit at home and play video games.

“My favorite part about being club president and being apart of WY is that I get to perform and share such nice experiences with other people. My proudest moment was getting voted president after my very first Harmonyx show last year.” Harmonyx is a very big part of Jourdon’s high school life. He also takes some of the things he’s learned in Wind Ensemble and his Music Theory class and teaches his club members to better their knowledge of music and such. He has worked very hard to be a leader and he is succeeding.

With being a very hardworking student, Jourdon also wants change to situations happening to society and in our school. “The biggest problem society is facing is the tolerance of people who are different from the dominant group, that kind of explains why Bad Kids by Lady Gaga is a song that represents me because it describes how you don’t have to be perfect to be appreciated by someone.” Jourdon works hard to put his voice out there, and he sometimes does so with art. He looks up the most to singer Janet Jackson, who has written very meaningful songs. Growing up, his most influential person in his life was none other than creative pop singer, Lady Gaga.

Jourdon understands that his junior year is coming to an end and that he will be a senior. He will be graduating and is planning to go to New York for college. “You know, if I could talk to my younger self, I would tell me to get straight A’s in my academic center time. I think I would get much more farther than I am now.” He will continue to work with the LGBT community and fight for their rights in Pride Club and he will continue to plan an excellent show for Harmonyx next year. “I just think people should be able to do what makes them happy and that they shouldn’t limit themselves. Don’t live for anybody that wouldn’t do the same for you.”