Ever since she was small, Jadyn Mullen’s family knew that she would do well in school. Now going into her senior year, Mullen is setting the bar for college-level participation in high school.
…
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
Ever since she was small, Jadyn Mullen’s family knew that she would do well in school. Now going into her senior year, Mullen is setting the bar for college-level participation in high school.
Mullen this year is dual-enrolled for several courses with Missouri Southern State University while also taking college algebra and the health occupation course for students who plan to study medicine. She was enrolled in college-level courses in her junior year as well.
Mullen likes to pursue challenging courses where she has to apply herself to do well and get ahead. She’s also a member of National Honor Society and is participating in the A+ College Scholarship Program. Mullen previously ran track, but has set that aside to focus on academics.
Q: What are your favorite subjects in school?
“I really like math classes. ... It gives me a challenge. I like to see how fast I can do a math problem. Or anything that has to do with health, since I want to go into the medical field. Anything that will benefit my education on that.”
Q: Are any courses hard for you?
“Usually, science classes. I know it’s surprising when people hear that, but I’m not that good at science. I love them, but they’re really challenging.”
Q: Is anything helpful for you to work through those challenges?
“The way I remember stuff is by making a game out of it. ... In our human bio class we had to learn special body parts, so I turned it into a kind of ‘Heads, Knees and Toes’ game, or ‘Simon says touch your cephalic bone.’”
Q: What makes you want to pursue these college-level courses?
“To be able to get extra credits and get familiar with what I’m going to do when I’m in college. I’ve always, ever since I was a little girl, I like to be ahead in things, and I feel like being in college classes, you’re getting ahead. And it gives you a challenge.
Q: What makes you interested in entering the medical field?
“I really like helping people. Ever since I was little, I would get the fake (doctor’s kit) and pretend like I’m taking someone’s blood pressure. I just like to help, and I guess diagnosing people, too.”
Q: Who has been an important mentor for you?
“My counselor, Ms. (Tonya) McDaniel. She’s been helping me a lot. I get stressed a lot, and my brain will go 1,000 miles away. She just helps me calm down (about the future) and to be focused. ... And my principals, both of them have helped me a lot.”
Q: Any advice for younger students?
“Think about your future. Everything you do reflects on your future. That’s really helped me. There’s been times I want to give up because I’m too stressed, but then I think ‘I have a future ahead of me, I have stuff I want to pursue,’ and that’s what keeps me going.”
Q: What are your plans after high school?
“I either want to go to Wash. U. or Mizzou.”
