James Jordan

This story is personal yet simplified in this sense. I feel all people should know
who they’re about to interact with or to who their loved ones are about to be
instructed by. Why some may see this to be overbearing I’ve always taught my
students and to professionally evaluate the credentials of whom is
about to foster an environment of learning. For that I will share sensitive
information to all of you since trusting me is the foundation of learning and
synergy within a professional environment.

This will explain the struggles but accomplishments that happened within my life
but didn’t hinder me from allowing failure to manifest itself and proudly made me
into the passionate teacher and coach I am today. At a young age I found myself
already having to deal with many challenges and obstacles, however I didn’t
realize how strong I or that a human can truly be. The struggles began very early
however they weren’t any fault of my own. At the age of 13 years old my
my biological mother was pregnant with me.

At a young age I found myself already having to deal with many challenges and
obstacles, however I didn’t realize how strong I truly was until now as an adult and
being able to look back at my past. My mother being at such a young age was
already dealing with a lot of struggles, one being that she was
fostered into a African American home who was prejudice for the fact that she was
biracial, the other was for the fact that she was very young and because of her
struggles and being neglected within her home based on her race she soon started
running away from home and finding herself in situations that aren’t suitable for
someone of her age and stature. While combing the streets prior to her getting
pregnant she linked up with a 16 year old male. His name is unknown as he didn’t
later sign the birth certificate. He was a troubled teen who had many issues of his
and took it upon himself, along with my mother to make adult situations they
weren’t ready for.

Him being in constant trouble with the law wasn’t a good thing and when my
mother found out she was pregnant she soon found herself alone in this world.
While pregnant documentation that is classified along with other documents was
later given to me for my keeping and knowledge. This document declared her
name along with other evaluations of my life and the struggles I had to go through.
This document declared that while she was pregnant she was smoking during her
pregnancy with me. It also showed that she was living out of homeless shelters
with no form of a proper living environment. After she conceived me she later had
multiple attempts running away from the homeless shelters leaving me abandoned.
After many attempts of these actions she was later prosecuted by the proper
officials leaving me stranded alone as a baby within a homeless shelter.

After these actions were taken multiple times it was concluded that she wasn’t a
fit mother for myself and I was placed into the foster care system. Within this
system I faced many struggles that later concluded either I was going to end up
dead or saved by the graces of a higher power or my own determination. During
during my time in foster care I went through over 48 different homes. I was moved
around in the system so much it began to seem natural for me and seemed as
though that was going to be my life. It was later in my life that I was finally placed
within a home that I felt I would be officially adopted into, only one problem. This
home had already fostered many children and there seemed to not be enough room
for myself and it seemed that even though they loved me very much they wouldn’t
be able to afford another child within their home. This was very sad and seemed to
be another struggle upon my shoulders. After being released from that foster home
I found myself in a very scary and unsettling situation. I was placed within a home
that was in no condition for any human. Within this home I was physically abused
each and every day. This lady seemed to only want to foster me for the paycheck
she received each month. I was locked in the basement and deprived of food or
forced to eat animal food, along with other cruel actions towards myself. I
remember that while I was locked in the basement, each time I cried of fear I was
forced to move down another step which was closer to the bottom of the dark
dungeon. I also remember trying to bathe myself but not knowing how to and
putting soap and shampoo in my eyes without knowing they made tear free
chemicals in the event such an accident happens. I never knew what my birthday
was, what holidays were as I don’t remember ever celebrating them. And I would
be forced to sit on the floor while she laid on the couch as she was very
overweight and if I slumped over because my back hurt, then I would be beaten
and told to sit straight up.

I surely thought at this age I was either going to end up dead or die trying to
escape such a situation. I could remember her telling me that if I said a word to
social services when and if they did their home walkthrough checks that she would
make sure I never spoke again. I dealt with this for a long time, until one day
something unexpected happened.

I was wanting to go outside and play and asked if I could due to the door being
locked from the inside from a key. She told me I couldn’t leave for the fact she
probably thought I was going to try and run away. She declined this
numerous times and upon me asking numerous times, she got mad and grabbed a
lighter. I asked her what she was doing and she proceeded to try and scare me with
the lighter by trying to burn me with it. Myself having some self taught knowledge
began blowing the flame to prevent such abuse. I quickly saw near the door she
had a wooden baseball bat which seemed to be much bigger than myself, especially
when I was nearly emancipated from neglect and being malnutrition. I had to
decide to fight or flight, so I grabbed the bat and started swinging as hard as I could
as it was my last hope.

With this situation happening and the the proper officials being called by someone
an investigation concluded that I was being neglected and abused for years within
this home with permanent scars. I later was moved back to the original house I
thought I was going to be adopted into and soon some people who are now my
parents showed up. How they arrived to come see was a story within itself. My
mother now was sitting on the couch with a broken leg from a snowstorm. Being
Catholic she looked at my father and asked “if we’re going to attempt to have a
kid, we need to do it soon as we’re getting younger”.

She closed her eyes and asked god if they were meant to have a child or if they
should save a life and possibly think about adopting a child. Minutes later the
phone range and it was social services declaring they had a child that has been
through so much and they didn’t think I was even suitable to be adopted but it was
getting to the point that I was in the system so long that this would be a free and
closed adoption, or that I would age out of the system and be left in this world
alone. My mother looked at my dad and said you’ll never believe who
was on the phone and later explained the situation to him. A few days later they
called social services back and declared they would like to see me and find out
what kind of shape I was in. Soon after I remember them coming to pick me up for
a trial weekend at their house to see if possibly their home would be suitable for a
possible adoption and rehabilitation. I remember walking into their house and them
walking me upstairs and showing me my first room that was all mine to myself.

They said “here is your room James and here is your own TV and bed”. I was
excited but had so much fear in my mind as I thought this was just another house.
Months later on July 4th I found myself in a courtroom being asked by a judge if I accept to be
adopted by them and I signed a piece of paper with the help of spelling my new
name in the courtroom. This situation was alarming and rare because The
Multiethnic Placement Act, as amended, enacted in 1994 and
known as MEPA (or MEPA/IEP to acknowledge amendments passed in 1996),
prohibits child welfare agencies that receive federal funding from delaying or
denying foster or adoptive placements because of a child or prospective foster or
adoptive parent’s race, color or national origin and from using those factors as a
basis for denying approval of a potential foster or adoptive parent. The law also
requires agencies to recruit foster and adoptive parents that reflect the racial and
ethnic diversity of children in out of home care, a process known as diligent
recruitment. So I guess this was the beginning to a blessing within itself or very
good timing for such a wrongful thing to have a law needing to be passed on it.

This was the great start to a new beginning but a journey and rehabilitation that
would never end. My parents were loving and great parents that did so much a put
up with so much to make me the man who I am today. Some of the things they did
but aren’t limited were, my mother after retirement volunteering at my elementary
school for the fact that unprofessional teachers said “this child is too far gone and
broken, he’ll never be able to graduate and further his education”. My parents went
to therapy sessions with me, even though I was smarter than I looked and declared
to the therapist that “I knew what his intentions were and that I wasn’t
going to speak of anything and who does he speak to when he has an issue”. I
told him I wasn’t going to speak about my issues unless he could teach me things I
never learned before the age of 7 for the years I lost in foster care.

So with that being said he taught me how to play the guitar as music is a form of
therapeutic rehabilitation. My mother and father fought for me through all the
aggressive moments I had, the detentions, the suspensions and fights I got into for
violence was the only thing I was brought up around and knew. I knew nothing
about holidays or even what my birthday was, for I was never explained or taught
these things in my 7 years of life before being adopted. My parents, counselors,
principals and a few teachers never gave up on me. One that changed my world to
this day was finding out how sports were away out of my anger and with that being
said they signed me up for the YMCA at Westwood in Coventry Rhode Island.
Little did I know the impact this would have on my life. My parents meet with the
camp director and spoke with them about my life and the struggles I went through
that no humans should ever have to go through.

The director was the warmest, kind hearted person ever as well reveal why later
in this biography. Soon I found myself being dropped off each and every morning
with my lunch packed with a kind note from my parents in it for day camp. My
parents and others found quickly that the only release I had that would hinder the
anger and aggression were sports. They found that through sports I would teach
myself the games and that I would tire myself out trying to perform better than
anyone else. This YMCA had weekly sports camps such as but not
limited to baseball, football, tennis, soccer, golf and much more. This YMCA had
overnight sleepovers and special events for everyone. They had the lake 2 mile
swim and mentoring/buddy sessions along with so much more. I found out
that I was so good at the sports and more developed than most which led
competitiveness to reach a level of aggression I couldn’t control for I never
understood how to.

This led me to be sent home from camp on numerous occasions but the YMCA
didn’t give up on me. The director followed me secretly around studying my ways
and thoughts. She later spoke with my parents and took me under her wing. Instead
of always sending me home for a minor infraction, I would be sent straight to her
office on top of the biggest hill I've seen, in which was a challenge in itself but I
later realized the demographic reasons for this hill. As one would walk up such a
steep hill, they would have time to think on their actions and tire themselves out
from the anger they had within. She would let me know what I did wrong and the
corrective punishment she was going to give me along with helping her with her
daily tasks.

She realized how much sports meant to me and obtaining trophies, awards and
the type of affirmation I needed within these events, so in that each infraction she
would suspend me from sports just like any other sports team would do so. I found
this to be very effective as I disliked not being able to show off my talents I taught
myself. She later saw that with my fast progression within sports that I would find
myself teaching others, which led her to allow me to foster others and mentor them
in a positive role model program. I didn’t realize what I was doing but what I was
doing was being a mini counselor in the fact that when I saw someone not grasping
the knowledge and or skill of an activity such as but not limited to fishing off the
dock, or knowing how to play a sport I would teach them everything I learned
which later progressively showed leadership skills. She was fearful of my
overnight camping explorations within the YMCA’s events but she kept a close eye
on me and allowed me to join such an amazing event and later as I grew within the
YMCA I learned how to properly act within such environments with others.

I thought I knew the manipulating ways of each and every adult trying to
rehabilitate me, however I was very wrong as this director found the exact way to
conform it to my ways in a positive mannerism so that I could grow as an
individual. I won many events and held records within the YMCA.

I was the only young camper at my age to teach myself how to swim and
complete the 2 mile lake swim. I grew as an individual within the YMCA’s
structure and took what I learned into my everyday interactions and within school.

I soon became too old for the sporting camping events and later my parents
decided to move and build their dream house in the Smoky Mountains in Bryson
City, NC where I soon found other challenges upon myself. We moved to a
primary southern atmosphere and soon after making progress in my life
rehabilitation, I found myself starting middle school within an environment that
didn't like the color of my skin. I dealt with those issues as I did at a young age
through violence but soon realized with my age and maturity that I was out
numbered and the only way to show them my ‘type” was different than how they
were raised to believe, was to impress them with the skills I’ve acquired they felt
they might be better than me at. Their good old ways were old and traditional, play
sports move up in the ranks in high school to varsity and win state championships,
and have the biggest, best and loudest truck, so that’s what I did. My parents
never handed me anything nor did I ever ask for anything. I was raised
with nothing and always fought and worked for what I wanted so I got a job and I
paid on a nice truck that was my first vehicle and was the nicest in town. I excelled
in sports and was a 6 sport athlete in high school obtaining numerous awards and
winning state championships. I never ever thought that I would make it this far in
school or sports, but I did. Sports drove my anger out of me but to remain in
them you had to maintain good grades and professionalism.

The town soon grew to love me and I was accepted within their eyes and life
was back on track. Soon my parents got tired of the retired life and ended up
buying a new house in Wilmington NC, however that had not bearing on my soon
to be a remarkable journey I never knew would happen. Midway through my high
school career the thought of being a professional athlete went through my head
over and over, however I learned quickly the odds of this happening or even being
a collegiate athlete are less than 1-3%. Later throughout my high school journey I
ended up having 16 division 1 colleges scouting me, wanting to give me a full
athletic scholarship to play at their school. I was signing a baseball athletic
scholarship to a NCAA Division 1 school of the name of Duke University and then
later transfer over to North Carolina Central University. Who would have ever
guessed that the James Jordan, the one that some said wouldn’t ever make it out
of school and make something of his life, would be going to college and under a
full athletic baseball scholarship.

My dream was starting to become reality. I found myself being moved into my
new apartment in Durham North Carolina to start my first semester of college as an
athlete but knew what was ahead of me was an unbelievable amount of work. I ended up being a highly ranked NCAA baseball pitcher that broke college records
and was a chancellor
scholar. (https://nccueaglepride.com/sports/baseball/roster/james-jordan/2610)

I was of high honors within my college and while attended found myself
not going home for the summer spring break for athletes couldn’t and because I
started working for the Durham North Carolina YMCA to put a few extra dollars in
my pocket but for the experience I once had as a young child that I’ll never forget.

I worked for over 10 years with the YMCA and was the head swim instructor,
head lifeguard and personal wellness trainer. I obtained my degree in a Bachelor of
Science in Physical Education (k-12) with a health and wellness license, a
concentration to then pursuing a Masters in Kinesiology, along with many other
certifications and health licenses, as well as a teacher license. I was invited to a
minor league professional baseball tryout which I never thought would happen in
my lifetime.

Shortly after my college and
professional career I decided to put my degree to use by becoming a middle school
and a high school teacher. I was the chair of department and later for my
outstanding teaching I was awarded 2 national recognition awards from our former
presidents, Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama for Alliance For A Healthier
Generation. Many years later after coaching and teaching. I decided it was time to
do something bigger than myself. I later decided for the future of my children, if I
were to have any, that I would join the United States Air Force and serve and
protect my country, along with making sure my unborn child never had to deal
with the struggles I had to endure. It was a true testament and challenge but another
opportunity to embark on and train so that others may live. I was a
Firefighter/Emergency Medical Responder.

I couldn’t ask for more in my life and slowly started to realize how short life is
and the many lives you can foster, teach and truly touch in a positive way.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop working as hard as I do or ever be able to get back
those 7 years of my life I lost in the foster care system, however what I can do is
try to touch each and every individual within my path of life. During my time I was
a decorated soldier and experienced many things most won't ever be a part of or be
able to speak on. While I was enlisted I took advantage of the free education and
obtained another degree in Fire Science. At the time of my enlisted contract
coming to an end I found out that I had serious medical constraints arise due to my military service. it was time to either continue or leave the military. I was
intending to continue for another enlistment contract however I ended up medically
separating as it seemed I put my body and mind through what I was wanting but
found out I pushed it to hard and that I wasn’t to the DOD standards anymore to
continue my military career on full active duty.
My family and I moved to Michigan and I went back to my original career of
teaching and coaching.

Many people ask me how do I do it, how did I do so much, how am I never tired
and always on the go? and my answer to them is, I am trying to make up for the 7
years I missed in foster care that I can never get back and that there’s so many
people out there, including students who I can teach more than just health too. I
love my career and love learning as I strongly feel it doesn’t matter what age, size,
color or ethnicity someone is, everyone including myself can learn from one
another. From a lost child given up at an early age, to a high school excelled
student athlete, to a college degreed athlete, to a professional athlete, to a teacher
and coach, then to a soldier and then back to a teacher, I promised myself to always be fair, firm and passionate. But to always have integrity, put service before
self and maintain excellence in all I do.

V/r,
//SIGNED//
James Jordan
US Air Force Veteran