Success in any activity requires a lot of determination, dedication, character, and hard work. This week’s A+ Award winner has all of those things! Destiny Jennings is a senior at the Eastmoor Academy in Columbus. She’s used her determination, dedication, character, and hard work to reach the pinnacle of her sport.
This past summer, Destiny won the USA Karate National Championship gold medal in Spokane Washington and earned a place on Team USA! She told us that she started karate as a six year old and has been competing for eleven years. That’s literally a lifetime for some of you watching! “I tried out a lot of different sports, but karate is the one that really stuck,” Destiny told us. When she was younger she also gave hockey, soccer, football, and basketball a try.
Her recent success wasn’t a surprise. She’s won a number of competitions across Ohio and the country. Her sensei, and father, Mr. Ellis told us that Destiny has won nine different grand championships. Destiny earned her junior black belt when she was 12 and earned her first degree black belt at 16. She told us that she first competed in the USA Karate National Championships in 2014. Destiny has recently competed in the Karate World Championships, held in Turkey. Turkey isn’t the only country she’s competed in. She’s also competed in Cyprus and Mexico.
Destiny has learned some important lessons through competition and karate. She told us that the most important thing she’s learned is that you should never think that you’re better than anyone else and you need to respect others. She added that good results don’t happen overnight, they happen over time. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty motivated to work hard. Destiny added a message for all the young women watching, she wanted us to tell you that “you don’t have to be a tomboy to be good at sports, just be yourself, work hard, and do your best.”
Destiny’s guidance counselor at her school told us that she’s also a fabulous student. We think her dad said it best though, when he described her as the perfect balance of being an athlete, student, and great person.
This week’s A+ Award winner is Destiny, from the Eastmoor Academy in Columbus for being a world class athlete, great student, and wonderful person!
Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.