See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Thomas Jefferson senior guard Jaquan McKennon’s parents always told him how tough the world could be, but it took a year living far from home without heat or running water to make him believe it.
“I listened to them, but I didn’t know it was that serious,” McKennon said. “It just made me more grateful. It made me more humble.”
McKennon chose to leave St. Raymond for Cardozo after his sophomore season because the two-hour commute to the Bronx each day was taking a toll on him physically and academically. He never made it to Cardozo, because his family ultimately decided there were going to be too many distractions if he stayed in Queens.
On the advice of a former coach, McKennon went to National Christian Academy, a prep school in Maryland — one of the few schools that had a spot available that late in the summer. When he arrived, the situation was much different than he expected. The academy didn’t have dorms, so McKennon had to stay with a family friend in a house with no heat and no running water in Brandywine, Md, a town of about 6,000.
The conditions were unlike anything he had ever experienced. He had to buy bottled water from a corner store to wash with, and he slept on a mattress under four blankets to keep warm.
“As a teenager, I wasn’t expecting that at all,” McKennon said. “It was like a very big shock. I didn’t know what to do with it.”
He immediately wanted to return home, but made the most of a bad situation. He learned to cook, clean, and do his own laundry, and he got in the best shape of his career. His new coach can see the experience built his character.
“It was an eye-opener for him,” said Jefferson coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard. “It showed him you can’t take the small things for granted.”
Pollard believes kids too often believe things are always better someplace else, but McKennon knows better, and returned home with a new appreciation for his life here.
“I came back home and I thank God everyday,” McKennon said. “Every time I wake up, every time I go to sleep.”
The 5-foot-11 guard picked Jefferson because of the strong reputation of the program, a chance to lead a young team, and an opportunity to win a city title. And his team appreciates having him.
“He is going to contribute a lot,” said Jefferson junior guard Shamorie Ponds. “He has a good personality and he is going to bring strong leadership to the program.”
McKennon, who was considered one of the top guards in the city during his time at St. Raymond, comes back with something to prove. The senior said he has no scholarship offers yet, but has interest from Miami, Tennessee and Notre Dame among others. McKennon feels he needs to showcase that he is more than just a scorer.
“A lot of kids in New York City say I am not a point guard,” he said. “Now I have a whole bunch of talent to show them.”