I really want to talk about this news report from San Diego County.
I’ve grown up in SD County my entire life. When I was 12, almost 13 & in middle school, I had the incredible honor of meeting Jacob Petty. He went on to become probably one of the most successful people I know, and also one of my best friends.
To describe Jacob is almost an impossible task. He saw his father pass at a young age, & he always looked out for his mother’s & sister’s well-being. He grew up with hardships, but he never stopped smiling. He always powered through any obstacle that ever came his way.
He came out to me a year after we met, and I still cared about him regardless. And as we continued our education in high school, he went on to become the president of his school’s GSA (gay-straight-alliance) club, the vice president of the Speech & Debate club, he was one of the top 5 elected homecoming princes our senior year, & he was taking all honors classes & graduated with a 5.0, allowing him to become valedictorian. He had been winning scholarships ever since I met him at the age of 13. UC Berkeley accepted him within a heartbeat.
Jacob has always been incredibly well-spoken, & people found him to be motivating & inspirational. When we were in middle school, the kids all called him “El Presidente Jacobo” because we all believed that he would do something incredible someday, like lead our nation to justice, or do something astounding that was beyond us. Jacob is a true innovative leader, & I always knew he was fated to accomplish incredible things someday.
I just never thought that one of those things could be saving a life.
Please spread this around. I do not want my best friend’s heroic deeds to go unnoticed.