Linn-Mar’s Jaxson Young finds passion with basketball, show choir

MARION — Jaxson Young said he would tell students entering high school not to let anyone judge them for trying new things.

Young, a 17-year-old graduating senior at Linn-Mar High School, has long played basketball. In fact, he will be on scholarship this fall at Grand View University in Des Moines to continue his playing career.

Young is part of Linn-Mar High’s graduation ceremony of 525 students on Sunday at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

During his sophomore year, Young also joined the show choir, which was completely new to him.

“Sophomore year was a really good memory. Basketball and show choir were both doing really good,” Young said. “Show choir brought out a good side of me and helped me learn that it doesn’t matter what you do and you can’t let anybody judge what you do.”

A now-suspended Twitter account called Linn-Mar Barstool, a school district parody account of the Barstool media brand, tweeted about Young’s involvement in show choir in an attempt to make fun of him. Similar accounts have been made at school districts around the country to bully or harass students.

“His response was just to either ‘like’ the post or just try to have a massive game against the opposing team,” Young’s mother and Wilkins Elementary teacher Katie Jackson said. “It just showed plenty of us that he was confident and comfortable with himself. I had a ton of moms messaging me telling me that Jaxson was a role model for their son because he was showing kids that it was cool to be an athlete and in fine arts.”

The experience didn’t stop Young from doing whatever he wanted to do and enjoying his time at Linn-Mar.

“Just join as many groups as you can,” Young said. “Now that I look back on it, I’m glad that I did everything I did. I have fun doing the things I do.”

A point guard and shooting guard on the basketball court, Young said he thought in middle school that show choir was “weird,” but he had older family members including his parents and aunts and uncles who has been involved in it.

“I went to a show freshman year and thought it was interesting,” he said. “I had singing experience from middle school choir and my mom and sister would always make me dance. My friends got me involved in high school and I’ve just done it ever since.”

Jackson said Young has always had a ‘very big personality’ and was an energetic child.

“Jaxson has always loved music, dancing, singing and sports,” she said. “We are grateful that he was brave enough to choose music and dance when a part of the athletic world didn’t want to applaud him for being versatile. But mostly, we are so proud of his character and that he always chooses to be good to others.”

Choir Director Trent Buglewicz said Young is one of “the most impressive” students he has ever come across.

“Jaxson was an example to others of how to balance two busy activities in the arts and in sports,” Buglewicz said. “He is a natural leader of his peers and is constantly seeking to improve the morale and experience of those around him.”

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