Our next graduate spotlight from O’Fallon Township High School is Jaydon Anderson.
This fall, Jaydon will be attending SIUE to study Finance.
As I read through Jaydon’s reflections, one word kept appearing over and over again: perseverance. Whether he was talking about business, personal growth, or overcoming challenges, it was clear that this was one of his biggest takeaways from the year.
When reflecting on what he learned about business, Jaydon shared:
“No matter what industry you choose to start a business in, it will never start off easy, and the amount of perseverance it takes for one to get through the first year of business is truly immense.”
That lesson was reinforced through his own experiences this year.
“This year, I grew in the area of perseverance. I regularly exercised the mindset of ‘it has to get done no matter what.’ This mindset has caused me to be much more productive in business and in other areas of my life.”
Jaydon also recognized growth in an area that many entrepreneurs struggle with: organization and accountability.
“One challenge I faced and learned from was that I have never been known for being able to remember tasks that need to get done. But this year, I changed that by learning to write down all of my responsibilities every day.”
Perhaps the reflection that stood out to me most was this one:
“There are times where I will fall short, but it’s how fast I can recover from the fall that will make me a better version of who I was prior to the fall.”
Jaydon was also quick to recognize the people who helped him throughout the year, especially his mentor, Fiona Hershberger.
“Fiona Hershberger, my mentor, guided me through my business startup decisions from the very beginning. Without her, my business would not be the same entity that it is today, and I cannot say that I would have been able to persevere through the hard work and decisions without her holding me accountable.”
He also expressed gratitude for everyone who makes the program possible, including guest speakers, board members, site visit hosts, investors, and mentors who invest their time and talents into our students.
Jaydon, congratulations on all you have accomplished this year. We are excited to see where your perseverance and determination take you next as you begin your journey at SIUE.
