For senior Logan Hicks high school has been a journey of transformation. After struggling to find motivation during his freshman and sophomore years, he turned his life around, crediting his growth to perseverance, mentorship, and his faith.
“Before, I didn’t really do anything in school, no extracurriculars or going out to plays,” Hicks said. “Recently, I’ve been doing it a lot more.”
Hicks academic struggles in early high school began with personal challenges, including his parents’ divorce. The constant shifts between households meant he lacked the resources and stability needed to thrive.
“I didn’t always have what I needed growing up,” Hicks said. “I took a lot of things for granted, like people helping me with schoolwork.”
Joining the JAG-K(Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas) program helped Hicks begin to be involved in school.
“Joining JAG was a big part of my life because before I didn’t do anything in school,” Hicks said.
Through the guidance of Spanish teacher Mandy Walker and the support of his friends, Hicks found new motivation. He began pushing himself to work harder, even if it was just a little at a time.
“[I] just try to keep doing more work at a time,” Hicks said. “Five minutes, 10 minutes, [and] keep adding on to it.”
Hicks perspective also shifted. Over the past three years, Hicks has developed a stronger connection with his faith, something he says has been vital in changing his mindset.
“God has really helped me,” Hicks said. “Before, I was not in the right headspace, but recently [in the] past three or four years I’ve been more in tune with God.”
Beyond academics, Hicks has found joy in multiplayer video games, reading and stepping out of his comfort zone to rely more on others.
Hicks favorite book, “The Beginning After the End”, by TurtleMe resonates with him because of its determined protagonist.
“It’s not really shaped my outlook, but it influenced me because the main character is a little bit crazy, but he always follows through,” Hicks said.
As graduation nears, Hicks is focused on the future. He hopes to continue strengthening his faith in God, spending more time with friends and tackling life’s challenges with the resilience he’s built.
“I want to worry less about the small things in life,” Hicks said. “I just want to keep growing.”
