My name is Anthony Wade Jordan, and I was born and raised in a small town called Adel, Georgia. Born on June 28, 2000, I was often called a “miracle baby” due to how old my parents were when my mother first discovered she was pregnant. Born to a mother who was 39 and a father who was 45, I was raised as many would call an “old soul”. I had 4 older siblings including 3 sisters on my dad’s side, and one brother on my mom’s side. However, I grew up feeling like an only child due to the age difference between my siblings and I. I often resorted to playing video games and riding my bike around the neighborhood to entertain myself. I always made good grade when in school due to my parents telling me that I could get anything I wanted from them just as long as I had a good report card.

Growing up fr me was easy and carefree and my parents did everything they could to keep me happy. Once I got to high school is where I moved from being an introvert to an extrovert. I decided to make new friends, join clubs, and most importantly start to take more chances by becoming more invested in my sports. After running track and playing football my sophomore year, I hit a crossroads. I loved football, but I just knew it wasn’t the sport for me, but I was afraid to tell my father. Once I mustered up the courage to tell him I had a pleasant surprise when he told me that he would support me in any and everything I chose to do. The only thing he asked was for me to graduate and move on to be somebody in life. However, high school was not always joyous.

My dad’s health was on a rapid decline, and as much as I saw it I tried to keep him upbeat and smiling like he always was. I knew that heart problems were a complicated matter, but I also knew my father was a God-Fearing and strong person. As time went on, hospital visits were now the regular, along with trips to the doctor with him, but throughout all that I would still come home from school and see the smile on his face that brought me joy. However, April 10, 2018 would be the last time I would see that smile as he passed the next day unexpectedly. I had a decision to make and that’s when I chose to keep his spirit alive by getting may degree from Piedmont. I wanted to be away from home, but not too far in order to be close to my widowed mother. I also fell I love with Piedmont because if its’ small size that emphasized that you would get attention from professors. Running track here and being a Lion is an amazing experience that I will cherish forever. I love this school and I’m so glad I decided on it as my home for the past four years.