Jackson Stewart

SCHOOL Greenwood High School PARENTS Rowland and Casey

Stewart SIBLINGS Benton Stewart

SPORTS YOU PLAY Football, soccer

FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY It’s tough to name a single one, but the state championships for football are two experiences I will never forget. PLANS AFTER GRADUATION I am attending Texas A&M to study engineering.

FAVORITE PLAYLIST The Beerbongs & Bentleys album by Post Malone

FAVORITE FOOD Medium-well steak filet with mashed potatoes

FAVORITE TV SHOW The Big Bang Theory

FAVORITE MOVIE Interstellar TWITTER HANDLE @jts3304

ROLE MODELS My dad and mom, Jocko Willink INFLUENTIAL COACH Rick Jones, Tyler

Woods FAVORITE TEACHER AND SUBJECT Jeremy

Holland teaches Calculus. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?

I expect to be working toward a career in the field of space technology. IN YOUR WORDS, HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED

YOU? I am heartbroken. I have been unfairly deprived of more than just a soccer season or a spring break. For seniors, this is a season we will never get back. All the thrills of winning, the sorrows of losing, the moments of bonding with our teammates, and every little thing in between, will never happen again. Like me, every senior who has worked for a state championship or a captain band or even a starting position for three years or more finds it difficult to accept that the things we have dedicated ourselves to can be taken by a virus. I feel betrayed by the world. It is generally unhealthy to dwell on who is to blame for this outbreak and its effects, but I can’t help but imagine what difference could have been made if more aggressive and earlier actions to stop the spread of the virus had been taken. Maybe I could have gone skiing over spring break, or gone to prom, or graduated in person, or worn a captain band on senior night. On the other hand, having a piece of my life taken from me has taught me and hopefully other seniors an important lesson. We never know when it will be our last day in school or our last soccer game, so we must treat every day as an opportunity to experience life, because we may not get another one. WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST FROM THIS SEASON? We had three players from Europe as well as two other seniors than me. The six of us spent lunch and practice every day making so many memories. Even though I didn’t get to have a full season with all of them here, I will miss them and all the bonding we did to this point.

In Their Words focuses on Northwest Arkansas senior athletes who participate in spring sports, which have been affected by the covid-19 outbreak. This feature will allow these seniors to say, in their own words, how the pandemic has affected them in their final year of high school sports. To be considered for In Their Words, email csouza@nwadg. com or direct message @nwachip on Twitter.

Stewart