As a middle schooler, Jordan Thompson (12) didn’t make the decision to join the basketball team: her father was the one who signed her up. After five years, her life revolves around the sport.

“I spend a lot of time playing it with my brothers, my sisters and for schools,” Jordan said. “I don’t even remember when I started. My dad signed me up when I was little, so I’ve been playing forever. I’m really close with all my teammates, and it’s just really fun.”

Jordan initially played basketball recreationally both as a way to relax and to spend time with her friends. However, her mindset shifted when she won her first significant game.

“In seventh grade, I played it as a joke, but I also thought it was fun. I could hangout with my friends and just play around,” she said. “That year, we won the championship, and I remember the championship game—everyone was so pumped up, and we had a huge cheering section, and I just wanted to continue from there.”

With years of basketball experience, Jordan now participates in three club basketball teams outside of school and plays on the Harker varsity team as well. She attributes her success to her mindset while practicing and playing on the court.

“I’m really competitive and I always try my best. I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I need done,” she said. “I’m really self driven, and I just really want to do well for myself. It’s just doing what makes you happy and doing what you think is right.”

While Jordan excels in athletics, her academic performance is motivated by her grandmother, who constantly encourages her to strive in school.

“She’s the only person in my family who’s really into academics,” she said. “Both my parents are P.E. teachers, so they’re more into athletics. My grandma’s always pushed me academically to do well, and she set good examples because she’s a [history and English] teacher.”

Apart from basketball, Jordan enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering at the wildlife center and has been for the past year.

“We usually feed and medicate baby squirrels and possums and things like that,” she said. “There are a lot of wild animals that you normally wouldn’t think of having these needs, but it’s really cool to be able to handle them.”

Despite Jordan’s busy schedule, she lives by the motto “Go with the flow” to make adapting to new situations in her life easier.

“Just deal with what life gives you—[that means] being able to adapt to situations, but just being able to handle what’s happening around you when there’s change,” Jordan said.