Jahi is a young person with his feet firmly planted in the present, yet with his eyes on his future. When asked what he was currently obsessed with, Jahi told us, “Netflix and finding a job.” And we see how Jahi works to both enjoy the now and, at the same time, to build paths to future joys. Like all of us, Jahi has had to contend and cope with the disruptions of the pandemic years. Like many of us, Jahi turned to entertainment and movies to get through tough spots. And at the same time, Jahi made sure to take care of himself and to continue to connect with others, citing “exercise and surrounding myself with friends and family” as ways to cope.

This reliance on community, this investment in himself and others, were surely key for Jahi as he mapped out hispost high school journey. After many interviews, essays, and recommendations, Jahi won himself the prestigious and selective Posse Scholarship to Lafayette College, which he described as his greatest accomplishment to date. Jahi will, no doubt, be a valuable and dynamic member of both his Posse of freshman scholars and the Lafayette College community as a whole.

Jahi would tell his younger self, “Stay authentic, think before you act and take risks,” but it seems that he already heeded much of that guidance and we want to hold Jahi up and cheer for him as he continues to make his path, thoughtfully, but without fear of risk or of the unknown. “I have persevered and paved the way for my own success [with the] support of my family and the sacrifices of my mother. I am grateful to have made her proud.”

Asked to describe his life, Jahi responded, “just beginning.” While he has already accomplished so much, managing his senior year in the middle of a pandemic, graduating, and going to college, we will, like Jahi so often does, find joy in his present: Embraced and supported by his loving (and stunning!) family, keeping an eye on the future, Jahi will continue to make his way.