Jessica Jersild, a 2013 Chadron High School graduate who lives in Torrington, developed a passion in high school for helping kids with disabilities. She spent five years as a coach for Chadron Special Olympics and two years as a volunteer at Buckboard Therapeutic Riding Academy, and she recently earned a special education degree from Chadron State College. Now, she’s in her first year helping young children with learning disabilities at Geil Elementary School in Gering, and it’s a job, she said, that’s both amazing and rewarding to her.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
GERING – When Jessica Jersild was a student at Chadron High School, she would often volunteer to help with youth sports camps.
A talented softball player, Jersild enjoyed sharing some of her sports knowledge to younger kids. Mostly, though, she just enjoyed having fun and being a positive influence on younger kids, especially those who weren’t quite as athletically gifted as other children.
“There would always be a few kids who were maybe a little bit mentally slower than other kids, and I always gravitated toward that group,” she said. “I guess you could say I had soft spot in my heart for them. I always enjoyed spending time with those kids and helping them however I could.”
