I have been affected by death thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My bio-mom had a lot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Meth in my system. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. My Bio Mom ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died, my older sister started fighting her own battles with drug use. I also experienced death with one of my close friends and hockey brothers. He, also, was a child adopted thru the foster care system. He also had mental illness and drugs in his life that caused him trauma. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short when he did a stupid stunt at school, was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he ended up hanging himself. I spent the next year in grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. My mom took me to see a counselor because we were both scared. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament in whatever was asked of me. I have learned from this experience to give myself grace. I have had to deal with a lot of issues in my life from the reason I was put in adoption, to the death of my biological mother, to losing three great grandparents, one grandparent and a best friend. I am not an exceptionally gifted student, but I have a heart of giving and caring. This is what I was called to do. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me so I can be a better role model. Thank you.

Coming from a low-income family has had its challenges. I have seen my parents working long hours so that I can achieve my dream of playing hockey. I was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother later passed away from an overdose. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and started playing at four and I have been obsessed ever since. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament by doing whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey to help others.

Being a first generation college student means that I will be the first in my family to break the cycle of drug abuse and mental illness. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament such as setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing and selling merchandise. I have been willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being on drugs. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had a lot of mental and family issues that resulted in her drug addiction and family issues. She ended up in bad relationships and never got help. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had drugs in my system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers, Solan Peterson. He, also, was a child adopted thru foster care. He also had trauma due to mental illness and drugs. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short due to a stupid stunt at school. He was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he hung himself, we were both thirteen. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. One way I recovered was thru hockey. I have played hockey for fourteen years. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at VOANLA). I become a referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but to encourage them. What healed me the most was the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing). This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me and I want to help others who were like me at one point in their lives. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School here in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for your time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I just graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. I quit caring when my best friend died and life didn't seem to have meaning. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. I want to make up for lost time. I know it is going to be harder for me because of my lower GPA and ACT score, but I have been accepted into the local Community college and I am going to beat the odds and do amazing things. I plan on being the inspiration for other students who were like me, to show them that one moment in life doesn't define you and that you can rise up and be the adult that the world needs. Like my mom told me, I don't have to be the best in the world, I just have to be the best for the world. Thank you for your time.

I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being on drugs. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had a lot of mental and family issues that resulted in her drug addiction and family issues. She ended up in bad relationships and never got help. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had drugs in my system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers, Solan Peterson. He, also, was a child adopted thru foster care. He also had trauma due to mental illness and drugs. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short due to a stupid stunt at school. He was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he hung himself, we were both thirteen. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. One way I recovered was thru hockey. I have played hockey for fourteen years. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at VOANLA). I become a referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but to encourage them. What healed me the most was the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing). This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a bi-racial young man who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was three years old. I am very passionate about my family and playing hockey. My experience with cancer came from a hockey coach and close friend of mine, Jason "Flamer" LaFlame. Jason had been around me my whole hockey life going back to when I was four years old and starting. I didn't understand how much of a big inspiration he was to me, he was always just there. A couple of years ago when I turned sixteen, "Flamer" started a Dek Hockey team. He called me up and told me that I was his first choice even though I was going to be one of the youngest on the team. My mom signed me up and then I made some bad life choices involving vaping. My mom had told me that if I got caught, it would cost me my Dek Hockey season. I took a chance and blew it. She got her money back and donated it to the Team Solan Foundation that we are a part of (Foundation helps kids play hockey). After a month of earning her trust back, she got in contact with Flamer and he gave me his spot on the team. He had just found out his diagnosis and knew with all the treatments he wouldn't be able to play hockey. He sat down with me "Man to Man" and told me not to waste my life on stupid things like vaping. He told me how talented I was and how that I have my whole life to enjoy. He told me that he was going to fight his hardest against this cancer, but he needed me to fight for my future even more. He had such faith in me. Sadly, we lost Flamer this past year. Every time I am on the Dek hockey rink I can see him and I can hear his voice yelling at me to go for it. When I am having self doubts, I remind myself what he told me, that Cancer is Scary, but not "Going for it" is even scarier. I am reminded every day of his love for both Dek and Ice Hockey, of his unending Faith and his unwaving support of his friends. When the Shreveport Mudbugs organization that we both work for (He was our DJ, and I run the cameras) hung his hockey jersey up on the DJ booth in his honor, I cried and reminded myself that one day I will be the inspiration to someone that he was to me. I hope that one day while pursing my Athletic trainer degree I can also find a way to help others as I was helped. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me.

My adoptive mother has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader my whole life and I want nothing more than to make her proud of me. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had alot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. My Bio-Mom ended up being raised by her grandparents, one with Alzheimer's. She ended up in bad relationships. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Methe in system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help, but she didn't know where to go or who to talk to. She was fighting personal demons of losing her family thru death, of abusive relationships, of the state taking her children away for their protection. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died the mental illness seemed to be passed down to my older sister who started fighting her own battles with drug use and the state taking her children. My adoptive mother never stopped fighting for not only my younger sister and myself, but also my older sisters who didn't live with us. My Mom tells me daily how proud she is of me. She sometimes annoys me when she asks her questions of how was school, how was hockey, anything interesting happen, etc, but I know its because she loves me so much. I want so much to be successful so I can give back to her even a tenth of what she has spent my whole life giving to me. I know that at every football or hockey game she is in the stands with her Mom Jersey on and ringing her loud bell and screaming my name. I know that she honors my biological mother by keeping her memory alive for me, and I love her for that.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am a bi-racial young man and I was adopted from the foster care system when I was a toddler along with my sister. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better player is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I lost my hockey brother and best friend due to suicide. I shut myself down. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am now, wanting to go to college. I was pulled out of my depression by the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. I have learned from this experience to give myself grace. I have had to deal with alot of issues in my life from the reason I was put in adoption, to the death of my biological mother, to losing three great grandparents, one grandparent and a best friend. I am not an exceptionally gifted student, but I have a heart of giving and caring. This is what I was called to do. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me so I can be a better role model. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a bi-racial young man who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was three years old. I am very passionate about my family and playing hockey. My experience with diabetes is with my adoptive father. He once told me that he was as passionate about playing football as I am with playing hockey. He used his life story as an example of how important it is to have an education alongside with sports. It was his senior year in high school and he was playing all district football as a defensive lineman. It was the practice before the big game and he hurt his knee. He was rushed into surgery. It was at this moment that he found out he had type 2 diabetes. He was so angry. He had lost the chance to play in the championship game and because of this issue and he low grades, he lost college opportunities. He ended up going to a local college where he drank, forgot to go to class and didn't properly take care of his health which caused his diabetes to get worse. My father is now in his fifties fighting losing his eyesight, poor circulation, having to take insulin and other medicines daily. He reminds me that your health is very important and not to take it for granted. Diabetes is a very scary reality in my house. I have watched other family members struggle with this disease. I have watched my grandfather being rushed to the emergency room because of issues caused by diabetes. I watch my mom and wonder if she is next to be diagnosed. I have read up on the subject and talked to my father about what he goes thru. I know that my future my include having to take care of my parents once this disease robs them of sight and movement. So many people who are in the depths of this disease find it nearly impossible to move and exercise which causes there to be no hope. I hope that one day while pursing my Athletic trainer degree I can also find a way to hope those overcome this horrible disease, even if its just one step at a time. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me.

I was adopted from the foster care system when I was 3 years and 2 months old. I came from the hospital directly to my first foster home. My biological mother was addicted to meth, and I was born with meth in my system. I spent the first five days of my life detoxing. My adoptive mother (who was the nice of my first foster placement) held me that first day and fell in love. She was told that I may not walk, talk, be developmentally delayed and have learning disabilities. She didn't care; she loved me. I ended up going back home to live with some biological family, but within a few weeks I was back into the system. At this time both of my older sisters were already in the system. At this time it was decided that due to the situation of this case (drugs, child abuse, assault) that I would most like be an adoption outcome. I know that my foster care story isn't as tragic as others, but thru this situation I had to watch my older sisters be bounced around from home to home (my adoptive mom tried to get them, also). I also had to have the knowledge that my biological mother had another child after me and she (my biological mother) passed away right at my third birthday. At that time my little sister came to live with us. I then had to watch my adoptive parents stress and cry over my little sister, if her biological father would take her away from us. Foster Care can be amazing situation when you have the staff working in your best interest. In mine and my baby sister's case, they were amazing and worked hard for us to have the best life we could have all within the guidelines of the law. To this day both the caseworkers and adoption caseworker checks in on us. I play hockey for our local hockey youth program and one of my best friends was also adopted thru Foster Care. This made Foster Care not a dirty word, but a family. When I help coach or referee the new generation of hockey players, I take the extra time to get to know each athlete, to build them up and to make sure each one feels love. You don't know what any person is going thru, so I want to make sure that, at least to me, that I made them feel as I felt, wanted and loved.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have played hockey for fourteen years since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. To better improve myself I got certified as a Level One referee so that I could help teach the younger generation how to be a better player and to learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charities such as the Team Solan Foundation. This foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for your time.

I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had alot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. My Bio-Mom ended up being raised by her grandparents, one with Alzheimer's. She ended up in bad relationships. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Methe in system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help, but she didn't know where to go or who to talk to. She was fighting personal demons of losing her family thru death, of abusive relationships, of the state taking her children away for their protection. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died the mental illness seemed to be passed down to my older sister who started fighting her own battles with drug use and the state taking her children. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers, Solan Peterson. He, also, was a child adopted thru the foster care system. He also had mental illness and drugs in his life that caused him trauma. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short when he did a stupid stunt at school, was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he ended up hanging himself. He was only thirteen years old, we were the same age. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. One way I recovered was thru hockey. My passion was playing sports, especially hockey. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at Volunteers of American North Louisiana). I become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. What healed me the most was the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. I was born with Crystal Methe in my system and was told that I may not walk, talk, be delayed and have a grocery list of disabilities. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. I have always been the smallest of my peers, have had a hard time concentrating and I didn't like being in school. My passion was playing sports, especially hockey. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at Volunteers of American North Louisiana), but there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at Volunteers of American North Louisiana), but there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at Volunteers of American North Louisiana), but there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am bi-racial and was adopted thru the foster care system due to my birth mother being a drug addict and my birth father being a drug dealer. My birth mother later passed away due to an overdose. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I enjoy giving back to my community thru charity work (such as volunteering at Volunteers of American North Louisiana), but there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

When I was a child, I wanted to be a K-9 Police officer who played professional hockey. I have been playing hockey for fourteen years. When I was ten, I was blessed to have been given a German Shephard which furthered my desire to be a police officer. Police Officers where those people who ran into a situation when others ran out. They were the ones who protected people, who little kids looked up to. My family had many friends who were police officers and even one of my hockey coaches was a police officer. That all changed in 2020 during the Floyd Riots in Minneapolis. I watched the news every night during the 2020 Floyd Riots. I was fourteen and very confused about what I was seeing. I am a bi-racial young man adopted from foster care into a dominantly white family. I never thought about my skin color before. Now my mom is having conversations with me that were based on what we were seeing on the news. I am now seeing people who were my heroes become the villains. I became very confused. The police officers I knew weren't evil and killing innocent people, but that is all the television was showing me. I went to school and heard my friends talk trash about police officers and how they hated them. I decided that maybe I wasn't made to be a police officer, but I want my life to matter, and I want to help others. A bit before this time period I lost my hockey brother and best friend to suicide. His family started a Team Solan Foundation to help those children in need play hockey if they want to. I was the foundation's first scholarship recipient. It was then that I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to help kids play hockey. Hockey is my first love, and I want others to have that same feeling. I became a referee so I can learn more about the rules. I am in the process of getting my coaching certificate. I help out with the Team Solan Foundation when we have charity tournaments and fundraising. I have worked with our youth program in our "learn to skate" and "learn to play" events. I want to go to college and get a degree in Athletic Training so I can help on and off the ice. I would also like to obtain a business degree so that maybe one day I can run my own youth hockey program.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I wouldn't be interest in starting my own charity because there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

I was impacted by the loss of a dear friend of mine by suicide. I am a hockey player who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was a young child. I met another hockey player who was also adopted thru foster care. We bonded over our shared background (Foster Care, Drug exposed at birth, being adopted, love for hockey) and became brothers off and on the ice. We spent years playing against each other and on the same team. We were a family. When we were thirteen years old Solan did something stupid at school and was sent to a detention center where his treatment triggered his inner demons, and he hung himself. I spent the next year in grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I couldn't speak or move, and I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. I no longer cared about anything. My mom took me to see a counselor because she was scared for me. I was scared to. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). Solan's adoptive mom came to me and explained how our faith tells us where Solan is and how he wouldn't want me feeling like this. She explained how Hockey was a gift that God had given to both Solan and myself and that it was my duty to keep going. It is now five long years later and I am serving God by continuing playing hockey, by helping the next generation thru coaching & being a referee plus by serving the Team Solan Foundation organization in whatever manner is asked of me. We had a ball hockey tournament in Solan's honor to help raise money for the foundation and I was there from 8am to 8pm working and playing. I was then able to place the trophy that I helped win into Solan's Mom's arms. It was the most important moment of my life. I could feel Solan there and I swear that saw him. I know it sounds stupid to make a comparison between God and Hockey, but when I am on that ice is when I feel the most at peace and when I look out at these kids playing with happiness on their faces, I see God and my brother in them.

One healthy habit that I have adopted to manage my mental and emotional health is to understand that everyone needs someone to talk. Everyone has trauma in their lives, it can be something minor like failing a math test or something major like losing a friend. I have learned thru my experiences that having healthy friendships with peers, having a trusting adult to talk to. I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had alot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. My Bio-Mom ended up being raised by her grandparents, one with Alzheimer's. She ended up in bad relationships. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Methe in system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help, but she didn't know where to go or who to talk to. She was fighting personal demons of losing her family thru death, of abusive relationships, of the state taking her children away for their protection. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died the mental illness seemed to be passed down to my older sister who started fighting her own battles with drug use and the state taking her children. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers. He, also, was a child adopted thru the foster care system. He also had mental illness and drugs in his life that caused him trauma. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short when he did a stupid stunt at school, was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he ended up hanging himself. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues. I have created a space safe for my friends by always being available to talk, even if its just sitting in my truck in the Walmart parking lot playing Uno!

My name is Jordan Welborn and I was adopted thru the Foster Care System when I was three years old. This scholarship grabbed my attention because my birth name was Jordan Rabb. I have always known I was adopted and who my biological family was. I understood why I was placed in Foster Care and that my mother, Karen, loved me so much that she willingly allowed me to be adopted so that she could work on her own personal demons and get better. Every night we prayed for her. My athletic journey has shaped me and helped me make an impact on the world by showing me how important Athletic Trainers are to athletes. I have played Football and ice hockey since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand. My parents started taking me to local hockey games when I was two months old. All I ever wanted was to be on that ice. When the time came, I was helped into my hockey gear and flew onto that ice. At that moment I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I have had to put time with friends and other activities to the side so I can play. I have had to watch my teammates with better resources than I go to special camps and private lessons hours away for growth while I was left behind. I watch what they have learned and pushed myself further. I watch YouTube videos on new skating techniques. I learned that if I want to be the best I can be, it's up to me to put the extra work in. I decided to get my referee certification so I can learn more of the "behind the scenes" rules. It was at this moment that I realized what a gift this was, and I wanted to share it with others. I now take the skills and lessons I have learned, and I am helping the younger generation. I love seeing the 6U and 8U faces as I show them a cool hockey trick of bouncing a hockey puck on my stick or showing them a fancy way of stopping on the ice. I have seen the smiles on parents' faces as they watch their babies laugh. My athletic journey in hockey has been hard. I have played with a broken arm, with a bruised collar bone, with deep bruises on my legs and sprained ankles. I have had to rely heavily on the Athletic trainers to tape up my ankles, to make sure I didn't have a concussion, that my clavicle wasn't broken so I could get back into that game. I have had to watch my team play without me due to injuries and it tore at my soul. I want to help other athletes so that they can have the best moments of their lives like I had the best of mine.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am a bi-racial young man and I was adopted from the foster care system when I was a toddler along with my sister. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I became depressed by the loss of a dear friend of mine by suicide. I met another hockey player who was also adopted thru foster care. We bonded over our shared background (Foster Care, Drug exposed at birth, being adopted, love for hockey) and became brothers off and on the ice. We spent years playing against each other and on the same team. We were a family. When we were thirteen years old Solan did something stupid at school and was sent to a detention center where his treatment triggered his inner demons, and he hung himself. I spent the next year in depression, grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I couldn't speak or move, and I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. I no longer cared about anything. My mom took me to see a counselor because she was scared for me. I was scared too. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). Solan's adoptive mom came to me and explained how our faith tells us where Solan is and how he wouldn't want me feeling like this. She explained how Hockey was a gift that God had given to both Solan and me and that it was my duty to keep going. It is now five long years later and I am serving God by continuing playing hockey, by helping the next generation thru coaching & being a referee plus by serving the Team Solan Foundation organization in whatever manner is asked of me. We had a ball hockey tournament in Solan's honor to help raise money for the foundation and I was there from 8am to 8pm working and playing. I was then able to place the trophy that I helped win into Solan's Mom's arms. It was the most important moment of my life. I could feel Solan there and I swear that saw him. I know it sounds stupid to make a comparison between God and Hockey, but when I am on that ice is when I feel the most at peace and when I look out at these kids playing with happiness on their faces, I see God and my brother in them. I hope to make a career as an Athletic trainer so I can continue living under that hockey bubble, continue to be helping kids like I was and to know that I have a hockey brother looking down at me and smiling. This is how I fight my depression, by looking right back up and giving Solan a thumbs-up.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a bi-racial young man who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was three years old. I am very passionate about my family and playing hockey. My experience with diabetes is with my adoptive father. He once told me that he was as passionate about playing football as I am with playing hockey. He used his life story as an example of how important it is to have an education alongside with sports. It was his senior year in high school and he was playing all district football as a defensive lineman. It was the practice before the big game and he hurt his knee. He was rushed into surgery. It was at this moment that he found out he had type 2 diabetes. He was so angry. He had lost the chance to play in the championship game and because of this issue and he low grades, he lost college opportunities. He ended up going to a local college where he drank, forgot to go to class and didn't properly take care of his health which caused his diabetes to get worse. My adoptive father is now in his fifties fighting losing his eyesight, poor feet circulation, having to take shots every day and night plus alot of other medicines. He reminds me that your health is very important and not to take it for granted. Diabetes is a very scary reality in my house. I have watched my mom's grandparents die of complications caused by the disease. I watch my father's parents deal with the daily reminder of checking their blood sugar. I have watched my grandfather being rushed to the emergency room because of issues caused by diabetes. I watch my mom and wonder if she is next to be diagnosed. I work out every day and try to eat the best I can. I have read up on the subject and talked to my father about what he goes thru. I know that my future my include having to medically and emotionally take care of my parents once this disease robs them of sight and movement. I hate diabetes. I hate how so much that we consume in the world today can help us get it. So much of our food contains sugar. We are addicted to sugar. So many people who are in the depths of this disease find it nearly impossible to move and exercise which causes there to be no hope. I hope that one day while pursing my Athletic trainer degree I can also find a way to hope those overcome this horrible disease, even if its just one step at a time.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am a bi-racial young man and I was adopted from the foster care system when I was a toddler along with my sister. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better player is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. One obstacle I had faced in my life was myself. I quit caring about school when I was in the 8th grade. I lost my hockey brother and best friend due to suicide. I shut myself down. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am now, wanting to go to college. I was pulled out of my depression by the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. I have learned from this experience to give myself grace. I have had to deal with alot of issues in my life from the reason I was put in adoption, to the death of my biological mother, to losing three great grandparents, one grandparent and a best friend. I am not an exceptionally gifted student, but I have a heart of giving and caring. This is what I was called to do. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me so I can be a better role model. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. I am a bi-racial young man and I was adopted from the foster care system when I was a toddler along with my sister. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better player is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. One obstacle I had faced in my life was myself. I quit caring about school when I was in the 8th grade. I lost my hockey brother and best friend due to suicide. I shut myself down. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am now, wanting to go to college. I was pulled out of my depression by the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. I have learned from this experience to give myself grace. I have had to deal with alot of issues in my life from the reason I was put in adoption, to the death of my biological mother, to losing three great grandparents, one grandparent and a best friend. I am not an exceptionally gifted student, but I have a heart of giving and caring. This is what I was called to do. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me so I can be a better role model. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

When I was a child, I wanted to be a K-9 Police officer who played professional hockey. I have been playing hockey for fourteen years. When I was ten, I was blessed to have been given a German Shephard which furthered my desire to be a police officer. Police Officers where those people who ran into a situation when others ran out. They were the ones who protected people, who little kids looked up to. My family had many friends who were police officers and even one of my hockey coaches was a police officer. That all changed in 2020 during the Floyd Riots in Minneapolis. I watched the news every night during the 2020 Floyd Riots. I was fourteen and very confused about what I was seeing. I am a bi-racial young man adopted from foster care into a dominantly white family. I never thought about my skin color before. Now my mom is having conversations with me that were based on what we were seeing on the news. I am now seeing people who were my heroes become the villains. I became very confused. The police officers I knew weren't evil and killing innocent people, but that is all the television was showing me. I went to school and heard my friends talk trash about police officers and how they hated them. I decided that maybe I wasn't made to be a police officer, but I want my life to matter, and I want to help others. A bit before this time period I lost my hockey brother and best friend to suicide. His family started a Team Solan Foundation to help those children in need play hockey if they want to. I was the foundation's first scholarship recipient. It was then that I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to help kids play hockey. Hockey is my first love, and I want others to have that same feeling. I became a referee so I can learn more about the rules. I am in the process of getting my coaching certificate. I help out with the Team Solan Foundation when we have charity tournaments and fundraising. I have worked with our youth program in our "learn to skate" and "learn to play" events. I want to go to college and get a degree in Athletic Training so I can help on and off the ice. I would also like to obtain a business degree so that maybe one day I can run my own youth hockey program.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I wouldn't be interest in starting my own charity because there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

I was impacted by the loss of a dear friend of mine by suicide. I am a hockey player who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was a young child. I met another hockey player who was also adopted thru foster care. We bonded over our shared background (Foster Care, Drug exposed at birth, being adopted, love for hockey) and became brothers off and on the ice. We spent years playing against each other and on the same team. We were a family. When we were thirteen years old Solan did something stupid at school and was sent to a detention center where his treatment triggered his inner demons, and he hung himself. I spent the next year in grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I couldn't speak or move, and I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. I no longer cared about anything. My mom took me to see a counselor because she was scared for me. I was scared to. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). Solan's adoptive mom came to me and explained how our faith tells us where Solan is and how he wouldn't want me feeling like this. She explained how Hockey was a gift that God had given to both Solan and myself and that it was my duty to keep going. It is now five long years later and I am serving God by continuing playing hockey, by helping the next generation thru coaching & being a referee plus by serving the Team Solan Foundation organization in whatever manner is asked of me. We had a ball hockey tournament in Solan's honor to help raise money for the foundation and I was there from 8am to 8pm working and playing. I was then able to place the trophy that I helped win into Solan's Mom's arms. It was the most important moment of my life. I could feel Solan there and I swear that saw him. I know it sounds stupid to make a comparison between God and Hockey, but when I am on that ice is when I feel the most at peace and when I look out at these kids playing with happiness on their faces, I see God and my brother in them.

I come from a long line of military family on both sides of my family. On my mom's side it was her Great grandfather, grandfather, dad, uncles and several cousins. Most of the men in the family were military and the women married into military. My mom's first husband was military. On my dad's side both my Great Grandfathers and now my close cousin served our country. One of my favorite memories is one about my great grandfather. He was a "Yankee" who was stationed at Barksdale AFB in 1985. He was here by himself eagerly waiting on when his wife could join him. Grandpa Dale was going thru the chow line and was so excited to see a bowl of a familiar and favorite breakfast dish. He took the bowl along with some other breakfast items and sat down to eat. He did his normal routine of preparing his dish by sprinkling sugar and pouring some milk into the bowl. He then looked around and noticed everyone at the table looking at him with their mouths dropped open. He had no idea what they were dumbfounded about. Grandpa Dale shrugged his shoulders and took that first, eagerly anticipated bite and realized that what he thought was his favorite "Cream of Wheat" dish was actually the southern classic, grits! That is why everyone was looking at him like he had lost his mind. Grandpa Dale straightened his back, took another big bite, looked around and said "I don't know about you, but this is how we eat this up north!". Everyone laughed. My Grandfather was proud to have served in both the Army and the Air Force. When he found out I had joined the ROTC my Freshman and Sophomore year in High School, he was so proud of me. I was so afraid to tell him that I had dropped the class my Junior Year because I was focusing on a trade school route. When I went to tell him, scared of what he would say, he told me that joining the Service was a calling, that some had it and some didn't, but to always be ready to defend your country in whatever why you can. He let me know that life is unexpected, like when your Cream of Wheat is actually a bowl of grits, but you adjust your plan and keep going forward with determination in your heart and a smile on your face and the knowledge that you have several generations of military family defending you!

I am a bi-racial young man who was adopted as a toddler from foster care into a primary Caucasian family along with my baby sister. I grew up knowing that my family situation was different, but not really giving it a second thought. I fell in love with hockey and by the time I was four years old I was zooming across that ice. A few years into playing hockey I realized that there were very, very few minorities on the ice. I was the only bi-racial/black athlete. We had a couple of other ethnics, but not many. It made me wonder about other sports. I went to school and talked to my football team (majority black athletes), the school's basketball team (majority black athletes) and baseball team (a good combination of black and white students). This made me wonder why hockey wasn't the same. At the same time, I lost a very close hockey brother to suicide when we were thirteen. My friend's parents started the Team Solan Foundation in his honor which helps kids who want to play hockey to play hockey in which I was the first ever recipient. I started talking to my parents about the financial cost of hockey and realized why there weren't many minorities in our organization. Where I live in Louisiana, there are a lot of low-income areas in which playing a "Club" sport would be an expensive pipe dream. I decided to help the Team Solan Foundation so that more kids can be reached, regardless of income or racial background. In hockey there is no race, just ice. I want to see more kids like me playing hockey. My hockey brothers are very encouraging. Every time we go to tournaments, and we see another minority player, they always make an effort to talk and be respectful. When February comes around, they always let me go out on the ice first in honor of Black History Month. You would think this was as a joke (and sometimes we do laugh) but underneath it's the love and respect for each other. Every local Mardi Gras parade we go to, I take my street hockey stick and puck so I can demonstrate and encourage kids waiting to see the floats. I tell them about the Hockey Program and I tell them about the Team Solan Foundation and how if they wanted to play, like I did and do, I would help them get there!!!

I was adopted from the foster care system when I was 3 years and 2 months old. I came from the hospital directly to my first foster home. My biological mother was addicted to meth, and I was born with meth in my system. I spent the first five days of my life detoxing. My adoptive mother (who was the nice of my first foster placement) held me that first day and fell in love. She was told that I may not walk, talk, be developmentally delayed and have learning disabilities. She didn't care; she loved me. I ended up going back home to live with some biological family, but within a few weeks I was back into the system. At this time both of my older sisters were already in the system. At this time it was decided that due to the situation of this case (drugs, child abuse, assault) that I would most like be an adoption outcome. I know that my foster care story isn't as tragic as others, but thru this situation I had to watch my older sisters be bounced around from home to home (my adoptive mom tried to get them, also). I also had to have the knowledge that my biological mother had another child after me and she (my biological mother) passed away right at my third birthday. At that time my little sister came to live with us. I then had to watch my adoptive parents stress and cry over my little sister, if her biological father would take her away from us. Foster Care can be amazing situation when you have the staff working in your best interest. In mine and my baby sister's case, they were amazing and worked hard for us to have the best life we could have all within the guidelines of the law. To this day both the caseworkers and adoption caseworker checks in on us. I play hockey for our local hockey youth program and one of my best friends was also adopted thru Foster Care. This made Foster Care not a dirty word, but a family. When I help coach or referee the new generation of hockey players, I take the extra time to get to know each athlete, to build them up and to make sure each one feels love. You don't know what any person is going thru, so I want to make sure that, at least to me, that I made them feel as I felt, wanted and loved. As of right now I am very uncertain of what I want to do. I want to go to college and be a success. I want to be an athletic trainer, but I also want to go into business so I can maybe one day run my own hockey rink or manage my own hockey team. I want to prove to everyone that Foster Care may have been the start of my life, but it doesn't define my life.

My name is Jordan Welborn and I am a senior at Northwood High School. My passions include playing hockey, working with children and loving on animals, especially German Shepherds. I have played hockey for fourteen years starting when I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey stick in my hand and I have been obsessed ever since. It is odd to be a hockey player because I live in North Louisiana where football and baseball run supreme. My heart is happy as soon as I hit that ice. I have been honored to have won both the offense and defense player of the year awards from our organization. One thing I have done to become a better play is to become certified as a Level One referee so that I can not only help teach the younger generation how to be a better player, but that I can learn more myself. There is something about seeing those little eyes look up at you as if you were the most important person they know. I wouldn't be interest in starting my own charity because there is already a charity in place that speaks my mission, my heart. It is the Team Solan Foundation. It is a foundation that was started in honor of my hockey brother, Solan Peterson, who passed away tragically when we were both thirteen years old. His parents started the foundation so to help with their grieving and to keep their son's memory alive. The Team Solan Foundation gives scholarships and equipment to help children who want to play hockey to be able to. I was honored to be the very first recipient of the Team Solan Scholarship. I was awarded the scholarship the second year, also. When they tried to award it to me for the third year, I politely told them thank you, but to honor someone else. It was at that moment I asked what I could do to help honor my brother, Solan. This is my passion, to play hockey and to keep my brother's name alive. For the past four years I have helped with every charity hockey tournament (setting up, refereeing, being a goalie, being a coach, playing), I have helped sell merchandise. I have been available and willing to do whatever is asked of me. This is what I was called to do. I have not been an amazing student these past few years. I got inside my own head. Now I am trying my hardest to get into college so I can get a degree in Athletic Training so I can continue my journey. I want to be a better me. Thank you for taking the time to reading this.

I put Jesus first in my life when I was dealing with the loss of my hockey brother and best friend. I went thru a severe depression. We were both thirteen when he took his own life due to a moment of being scared and I didn't know what to do. I spent a year trying to figure out why. I was angry at the world, and I am ashamed to say, angry at Jesus too. I didn't understand. It wasn't until my friend's mom came and talked to me. I listened to how, even though she was in paid, she was still praising God thru it. She was still helping others, including myself. I will never get rid of the pain, but I gave it to Jesus. I started focusing on what would Jesus do. I took my friend's legacy and started helping others. My friend's mom started a foundation in his name (Team Solan Foundation) and I started helping. I helped in any aspect that was needed. Every time I was on the ice, I thought of how much Solan should be there, and then I realized that Love was there. I keep remember how much Jesus loved Solan, how much Jesus loves me and I want to make sure that as I am coaching, or refereeing the younger kids, or even just hanging out at the rink, they they know that they are loved. I do not want anyone to feel the depression that I felt, and I hope that this next generation feel's Jesus' love and peace as I do when I put my ice skates on and play in honor of my brother.

I was adopted from the foster care system when I was 3 years and 2 months old. I came from the hospital directly to my first foster home. My biological mother was addicted to meth, and I was born with meth in my system. I spent the first five days of my life detoxing. My adoptive mother (who was the nice of my first foster placement) held me that first day and fell in love. She was told that I may not walk, talk, be developmentally delayed and have learning disabilities. She didn't care; she loved me. I ended up going back home to live with some biological family, but within a few weeks I was back into the system. At this time both of my older sisters were already in the system. At this time it was decided that due to the situation of this case (drugs, child abuse, assault) that I would most like be an adoption outcome. I know that my foster care story isn't as tragic as others, but thru this situation I had to watch my older sisters be bounced around from home to home (my adoptive mom tried to get them, also). I also had to have the knowledge that my biological mother had another child after me and she (my biological mother) passed away right at my third birthday. At that time my little sister came to live with us. I then had to watch my adoptive parents stress and cry over my little sister, if her biological father would take her away from us. Foster Care can be amazing situation when you have the staff working in your best interest. In mine and my baby sister's case, they were amazing and worked hard for us to have the best life we could have all within the guidelines of the law. To this day both the caseworkers and adoption caseworker checks in on us. I play hockey for our local hockey youth program and one of my best friends was also adopted thru Foster Care. This made Foster Care not a dirty word, but a family. When I help coach or referee the new generation of hockey players, I take the extra time to get to know each athlete, to build them up and to make sure each one feels love. You don't know what any person is going thru, so I want to make sure that, at least to me, that I made them feel as I felt, wanted and loved.

I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had alot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. My Bio-Mom ended up being raised by her grandparents, one with Alzheimer's. She ended up in bad relationships. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Methe in system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help, but she didn't know where to go or who to talk to. She was fighting personal demons of losing her family thru death, of abusive relationships, of the state taking her children away for their protection. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died the mental illness seemed to be passed down to my older sister who started fighting her own battles with drug use and the state taking her children. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers. He, also, was a child adopted thru the foster care system. He also had mental illness and drugs in his life that caused him trauma. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short when he did a stupid stunt at school, was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he ended up hanging himself. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues.

My athletic journey has shaped me and helped me make an impact on others by teaching me determination. I have played ice hockey since I was four years old. I learned to walk with a hockey in my hand. My parents started taking me to local hockey games when I was two months old. All I ever wanted was to be on that ice. When the time came, I was helped into my hockey gear and flew onto that ice. At that moment I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I have had to put time with friends and other activities to the side so I can play. I have had to watch my teammates with better resources than I go to special camps and private lessons hours away for growth while I was left behind. I watch what they have learned and pushed myself further. I watch YouTube videos on new skating techniques. I learned that if I want to be the best I can be, it's up to me to put the extra work in. I decided to get my referee certification so I can learn more of the "behind the scenes" rules. It was at this moment that I realized what a gift this was, and I wanted to share it with others. I now take the skills and lessons I have learned, and I am helping the younger generation. I love seeing the 6U and 8U faces as I show them a cool hockey trick of bouncing a hockey puck on my stick or showing them a fancy way of stopping on the ice. I have seen the smiles on parents' faces as they watch their babies laugh. My athletic journey in hockey has been hard. I have played with a broken arm, with a bruised collar bone, with deep bruises on my legs and sprained ankles. I have been kicked out of a game. I have had to watch my team play the last game of the season without me and it tore at my soul. I have forced myself to be a better player because now I know its just not me on that ice and my teammates on that ice, that I have a bunch of younger athletes looking up to me and wanting to be me, so if I want them to be the best hockey players they can be, then I need to be the best I can be!

I have been affected by mental illness thru my biological mother and my best friend. I was adopted thru the Foster Care system due to my birth mother being unable to care for me and my sisters. My older two sisters went to one home, and I was lucky enough that my baby sister was able to be adopted with me. My bio-mom had alot of mental issues that resulted into drug addiction. She had a tough childhood. She had a mom with mental issues, and she lost both her father and two brothers early in her life. My Bio-Mom ended up being raised by her grandparents, one with Alzheimer's. She ended up in bad relationships. Her mental health was never diagnosed. The only treatment she ever had was in the form of crystal meth, alcohol or weed. When I was born, I had Methe in system and spent five days being detoxed. My adoptive mom was told that I may not walk or talk or be developmentally delayed. After I was adopted my bio-mom tried her best to get help, but she didn't know where to go or who to talk to. She was fighting personal demons of losing her family thru death, of abusive relationships, of the state taking her children away for their protection. After my baby sister was born, the mental illness got too much for her, she ended up overdosing and passing away. This devastated my older sisters who knew our biological mother more than I did. After she died the mental illness seemed to be passed down to my older sister who started fighting her own battles with drug use and the state taking her children. I also experienced mental illness with one of my close friends and hockey brothers. He, also, was a child adopted thru the foster care system. He also had mental illness and drugs in his life that caused him trauma. His adoptive parents gave him all the help they could, but his life still was cut short when he did a stupid stunt at school, was sent to a detention center and due to their inability to do their jobs correctly, he ended up hanging himself. I spent the next year getting help for my mental health because I wasn't dealing with his death. I learned that you have to advocate for your own mental health. I learned that it is ok to tell the world to stop, that you need help and I learned that it's ok to ask for it. I have lost too many people to mental health issues.

I am a second season level one referee. I wanted to become a referee so I can learn more about hockey, about what I can and not get away with. It started as a way to further my knowledge of hockey and to be a better player. It became so much more than that. I became a part of a striped family that was dedicated to furthering the sport. I learned that it was so much more important that to just acknowledge goals and penalties. Being a referee meant that you were a teacher/coach to whomever was on the ice. It was your duty to maintain the rules but to also teach why and how the rules had been broken. I learned that a referee wasn't someone that people screamed at when things weren't going their way, but that they were people whose primary job was to keep those on the ice safe. It amazed me how important these people were. I took the lessons I was given and how I was treated and paid it forward. I now referee athletes who are 6U and 10U, those who are just getting started. They look up to me not just as hockey brother, Jordan, but also as someone with authority. One of my favorite memories was from the previous year. My mother, as a joke, bought me an oversize whistle during Mardi Gras. I wore that whistle (that was the size of a regulation football) to the hockey game I was working with the 6U. The kids went crazy. They loved it. I made sure that that game was fun with exaggerated calls so I could blow the whistle. After the game was over, I stole one of the athlete's hockey sticks and played a few minutes of them chasing me. With just that one game the kids understood that I was there to make sure that they played the game correctly and safe, but that I also wasn't scary and was someone that they could look up to. I overheard one kid say that he wanted to wear stripes one day just like his friend, Jordan. That made my heart feel so warm. I'm not sure what my plans are in the future. I want to keep playing hockey in college, but if I can't I want to still work with the local hockey organization as either a coach or a referee so that the next generation of hockey players have the best time of their lives like I have had!

Some challenges that an athlete is faced when playing sports thru high school are also the lessons learned by being a student athlete. The first challenge is trying to balance education and time for practice. It is very difficult to maintain good grades while spending so much time at practice and games. It is ever harder when you have difficulties with either learning or test taking and do not have a 504 to fall back on. Sometimes all you can do is your best and hope it's enough, especially when you are applying for college, and you realize that your best isn't enough. Another challenge is if you are a multi-sport athlete not recognized by either coaches or facilities. For example, I played football all four years of high school simultaneously playing hockey for the local Hockey organization. My football coach didn't recognize hockey and didn't care if I was late to hockey practice, if games interfered with Hockey or that I was missing Sunday practice to play my hockey games in a town three hours away. I was given less playing time because I was missing time. I understand in part from the coach's point of view, but in my point of view I was giving everything I had to both. On the same spectrum, my hockey coach didn't care why I was late, just that I was late. I had to skate laps because I was 10 minutes late getting there because I had just ended three hours of tough football and now I had to practice another three hours. I do understand that this was my choice and my consequences, but the lessons I learned was what battlefield did I need to fight on. Another lesson I learned was that support for one sport is different than another sport. On Friday night football games, the crowd has the bleachers filled with screaming fans. At hockey games you have your parents cheering you on, no friends, no teachers, no one from the school sees who else you are. Challenges for multi-sport athletes are multiple chances to get hurt and letting both teams down. You can get double the glory and double the hurt. The biggest lesson that I learned from being a multi-sport athlete is to realize what is most important in your life, focus on that and honor all commitments. Your word is as important as the name on the front of your jersey.

I was impacted by the loss of a dear friend of mine by suicide. I am a hockey player who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was a young child. I met another hockey player who was also adopted thru foster care. We bonded over our shared background (Foster Care, Drug exposed at birth, being adopted, love for hockey) and became brothers off and on the ice. We spent years playing against each other and on the same team. We were a family. When we were thirteen years old Solan did something stupid at school and was sent to a detention center where his treatment triggered his inner demons, and he hung himself. I spent the next year in grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I couldn't speak or move, and I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. I no longer cared about anything. My mom took me to see a counselor because she was scared for me. I was scared to. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). Solan's adoptive mom came to me and explained how our faith tells us where Solan is and how he wouldn't want me feeling like this. She explained how Hockey was a gift that God had given to both Solan and myself and that it was my duty to keep going. It is now five long years later and I am serving God by continuing playing hockey, by helping the next generation thru coaching & being a referee plus by serving the Team Solan Foundation organization in whatever manner is asked of me. We had a ball hockey tournament in Solan's honor to help raise money for the foundation and I was there from 8am to 8pm working and playing. I was then able to place the trophy that I helped win into Solan's Mom's arms. It was the most important moment of my life. I could feel Solan there and I swear that saw him. I know it sounds stupid to make a comparison between God and Hockey, but when I am on that ice is when I feel the most at peace and when I look out at these kids playing with happiness on their faces, I see God and my brother in them. Thank you for your consideration, Jordan Welborn

I had to rely on my faith to overcome the loss of a dear friend. I am a hockey player who was adopted thru the foster care system when I was a young child. I met another hockey player who was also adopted thru foster care. We bonded over our shared background (Foster Care, Drug exposed at birth, being adopted, love for hockey) and became brothers off and on the ice. We spent years playing against each other and on the same team. We were a family. When we were thirteen years old Solan did something stupid at school and was sent to a detention center where his treatment triggered his inner demons, and he hung himself. I spent the next year in grief and anger. I had daily nightmares where I couldn't speak or move, and I watched him die every night. I quit caring about school, and I was fighting with my family. I no longer cared about anything. I loved and hated hockey, the most important thing in my life, because it was a constant reminder that my brother wasn't there (he was our goalie). Solan's adoptive mom came to me and explained how our faith tells us where Solan is and how he wouldn't want me feeling like this. She explained how Hockey was a gift that God had given to both Solan and myself and that it was my duty to keep going. It is now five long years later and I am serving God by continuing playing hockey, by helping the next generation thru coaching & being a referee plus by serving the Team Solan Foundation organization in whatever manner is asked of me. We had a ball hockey tournament in Solan's honor to help raise money for the foundation and I was there from 8am to 8pm working and playing. I was then able to place the trophy that I helped win into Solan's Mom's arms. It was the most important moment of my life. I could feel Solan there and I swear that saw him. I know it sounds stupid to make a comparison between God and Hockey, but when I am on that ice is when I feel the most at peace and when I look out at these kids playing with happiness on their faces, I see God and my brother in them. Thank you for your consideration, Jordan Welborn