Jason Danso - Student of the Week (Kevin Geraci)

Stars and Stripes Europe recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Danso, a Junior and exceptional student representing Baumholder Middle High School.

Jason earned Student of the Week by demonstrating a drive for academics and giving back to his community. He is very involved with the school as Treasurer for the Baumholder MHS Student Council and National Art Society.

He also enjoys mentoring his peers. For the last three years, as an S2S Student Mentor, he has partnered with the Child and Youth Services and Baumholder Middle High School to help guide others academically and on a personal level.

During the interview, Jason lit up when speaking about his teachers and community saying, “It’s a small school but a tight-knit community and one big family.”

He elaborated on his love for his teachers because they show great care for the students as individuals. He states, “They genuinely have a deep connection, and they want us to succeed.” He highlighted his former biology and chemistry teacher Ms. Huxtable who the students lovingly refer to as “Mama Hux” because of her caring but also stern nature that helps them grow.

His active participation in Model United Nations (MUN) where he helps others by giving tutorials on writing Position Papers and Resolutions reflects his commitment to hard work.

In balance with his academic achievements, Jason’s sportsmanship is also impressive. He runs cross country and is on the wrestling team. He credits the school’s smaller size as part of what allows him to be so involved in different sports and organizations. “When I first started wrestling, I wrestled because we were short on people, so they were trying to convince anyone to wrestle…” At the time, he couldn’t imagine himself wrestling but decided to give it a try anyways and although the first year it didn’t come naturally to him, he says, “I just loved the environment of it. It’s really competitive, but it’s also like we’re all friends in a way.” Now, he is wrestling for his third year as the captain of the team.

It is evident that Jason has a growth mindset and is open to trying new things and meeting new people. When asked about his future, he said he wants to earn a degree in STEM but was unsure of his future plans.

He does know, whatever he chooses to do, he wants to continue to influence and guide people, confiding, “Growing up kind of scares me because the world is a scary place, but I want to be something influential.”

We asked Jason what drives him and what makes him who he is. He attributes his parents as being his heroes, “They sacrificed so much for me.” And he states, “Being around people, connecting with people is one of my biggest priorities.”

It shows with all the work he has accomplished and the people he has positively influenced.

Principal Leah Zamor expressed, “Congratulations to Jason Danso on his well-deserved recognition. His selfless dedication to leadership makes a difference for our Baumholder Middle High School community of students and families.”

If you want to learn more about Jason Danso’s passion for his community at Baumholder Middle High School watch the full video interview here.