“The Golden Eagle award is presented to a senior who soars beyond the expectations of others. On first impression, people expect all sorts of different things about each of us; some we have to strive to meet and some we have to battle through. This award recognizes determination, diligence, and dedication to academics, to activities, to friends, to service, and to our school.”
My first business trip was in 1990 as a summer intern for Xerox. I traveled to Omaha to meet with one of the group’s salesmen and observe him on a couple of calls. The objective was to get feedback on the design of a database system I was developing, as well as on the GRiD 386 laptop we were using for field deployment. The meeting was scheduled for the following morning. So, with a rental car and a couple of hours to see the city, the one place I wanted to visit was Boys Town.
If you haven’t heard of it or know much about it, take a minute and look it up.
I knew well the Hollies song He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother and I knew it was the Boys Town slogan. I always tear up whenever I hear it. Often even just thinking about it. It is an expression of such pure love and the determination born of that love.
I walked through the museum and took a bus tour of the facility. We drove past the “family homes” where married couples care for small groups of youth. I remember feeling intense admiration for those couples. It may have been the closest thing to a “calling” that I’ve ever experienced.
Two and a half years ago I was unexpectedly presented with the opportunity.
In December 2020, my wife’s best friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died just four months later, leaving a grieving husband and a sixteen-year-old son. Her husband had been gravely ill in the preceding months and seemed to have recovered, but symptoms returned. He died in December 2022. In less than two years, Johnathan had lost both parents.
Shortly before he died, Johnathan’s father asked my wife and I if Johnathan could live with us. Without question.
At the time he moved in, Johnathan had been “attending” online school for a couple of months. It was not going well. Nevertheless, his plan was to finish high school online, then attend college online. Maybe make money by streaming himself playing video games. When I told him that he would be enrolling in an “in person” school, his immediate response was “Why?”
Little by little, though, he made friends with the idea of going back to school. And then he got involved. And then he got excited. He went from online college to thinking about majors and schools. He went from failing math to getting all A’s both semesters his senior year. Now, one journey is complete and the next is about to begin.
The Golden Eagle is one of three major awards presented at graduation each year. Its recipient is selected by the faculty and administration. As the description above was read, all of us in his little cheering section were thinking the same thing. And then we heard …
“The recipient of this year’s Golden Eagle award is … Johnathan Whited.”
My wife and I had been empty-nesters for several years. It was an adjustment for everybody. I can’t imagine how it all could have gone any better.
These “two bonus years of high school” have been much more gratifying than challenging. I am very proud of Johnathan’s accomplishments, but even more of the transformation that I have had the privilege of witnessing.
He has beautifully endured a situation more difficult than any teenager should have to face. He has not just persevered, but thrived. I am grateful for the opportunity to share the journey. He ain’t heavy. And can’t wait to see where he soars next.
Image Credit: Giles Laurent, “Wild Golden Eagle and Majinghorn Pfyn-Finges,” 2021. Some rights reserved.
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