FREDERICKTOWN — When he woke in a panic Thursday to find it was past the time the tardy bell would have rung at the Fredericktown Intermediate School, 13-year-old Jesse Adkins thought his grandma let him oversleep.
What he didn’t know was that his grandparents, Cheryl and Larry Schunke, had arranged for Jesse to have an excused absence from school so he could attend the 2008 Knox County Children Services Community Awards Luncheon honoring the Rising Up Youth, Rising Up Family, and Child Advocates of the Year. Jesse was to be honored with the Rising Up Youth Award.
Jesse, who is in sixth grade, admitted he was “kind of happy” about getting to skip school for the day.
2007 was a difficult year for Jesse. His mom, Bernice Adkins, was killed early last year, and although his grandparents stepped up to provide him with a safe and loving home, losing your mom at age 11 is an ordeal no child should have to face.
Jeanette Pelton of children services praised Jesse’s character while introducing him to the audience at the luncheon.
“He has overcome more than anyone I know,” Pelton said, describing the brave way Jesse coped after his mom died, and the strength he showed when his great-grandpa passed away in the same time period and his grandfather was seriously injured in a home workshop accident.
Pelton said Jesse adjusted well to life in the Schunke household where “he had people he could trust who loved football almost as much as he did.” Jesse joined the school football team, and has plans to go out for the team again this fall.
He loves video games, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and hanging out with friends. Jesse has maintained good grades, and is part of a tight-knit group of friends.
Hazel Coe, the children services family aide who worked with Jesse and his mom for years, remembers the special relationship he shared with his mom, who also loved sports.
“He is such a great kid. He loves sports, and he absolutely loved his mom. He and his mom played basketball together,” Coe said. “They would get so cold while they were playing, that they’d have to go to the car just to warm up. Then they’d all go for hot chocolate.”
Coe said Jesse’s close bond with his family has seen him through the difficult times.
“His grandma and his Aunt Melissa mean the world to him. That support is what’s made the difference for him,” she said.
Jesse said support at school has sustained him as well. He said guidance counselor Bonnie Glass in Fredericktown was one person he relied on when times were hard. Glass, who was also honored at the luncheon as a Child Advocate of the Year, said Jesse’s family has been a strong safety net for him.
“He’s a wonderful kid, and they’re a great family,” she said. “Thank God for grandparents.”
Jesse offered advice to other kids going through hard times. “Hang in there. Find a few good friends, and if you can’t find any friends to turn to, then turn to your teachers.”
Jesse wrote a poem last year in honor of his mother.
“Angel’s eyes glisten like the morning sun.
“Her wings glow in the snow.
“Her gown as colorful as spring,
“A warm sight to see and a helping hand in time of need.
“This is my guardian angel.”
