Student of the Month Spotlight: Senior Ethan Jones

Ethan Jones has been involved in extracurricular activities as a student, including recently leading the Homecoming and Coming Home events and actively participating in ROAR, a program to help the Junior High students adjust to high school life.

By Cindy Lance

Senior Ethan Jones has attended Stockbridge Community Schools his entire academic career and says he loves the feel of a small town and living in the community. Ethan, son of Mike and Christine and younger brother to Wesley, credits his parents as the biggest influencers in his life. 

While Science and English top Jones’ favorite fields of study, he credits his most memorable class to an independent environmental impacts study that he and two other students completed with teacher Miss Reyes. 

Teacher Jason Rickli said, “Ethan is an incredibly brilliant and hardworking student who is a leader and example to many of the younger students in the building.” 

Teacher Laura Bell said, “He picks up on new ideas quickly and is skilled at applying what he’s learned to novel situations.” Jones shares a mutual respect, stating that most teachers in the Stockbridge Community Schools are above average. 

Ethan has been involved in extracurricular activities as a student, including recently leading the Homecoming and Coming Home events and actively participating in ROAR, a program to help the Junior High students adjust to high school life. When asked how he thinks his friends would describe him, he said funny, weird, humble and smart. 

Jones’ coach and teammates provided insight into the beauty and strength of his character.

Varsity Soccer Coach Brent Young said Jones “exhibits excellent leadership skills both on and off the field and wants people to succeed. You will often see him mentoring teammates after the season is over. He is a hard worker that doesn’t want to let the team down, even when he is hurting.” 

Jones was awarded Team Leader award as Captain this year, after pushing through a painful injury all season with little complaint. 

Future Captains, Ben Young, Isaac Lance, and Luke Suojanen expressed gratitude and respect for the work Jones has done with and for his team, both on and off the field. Young said Jones “is a strong working player who doesn’t give up even if we’re down by 10. He’s a great friend and a better captain.” 

Lance chimed in that Jones “is a very respectable young man that cares deeply for his teammates and his peers. He rarely gives up and encourages people to keep going.” 

Suojanen stated, “Ethan is a great guy that really cares for everyone and is always there for you. I’ve known Ethan for a few years but in that time I realized that he is a smart, intelligent young man that has a bright future ahead of him.” 

Jones tries to live by the saying, “Fun is the best thing you can have.” His main goal is to make people happy, whether that is through making animals happy or just being kind to people. 

When he isn’t studying, Jones likes to play guitar, bass, Dungeons and Dragons, and video games. Jones future plans include studying zoology and moving to Australia to help koalas and other endangered species.