Jordan Wafer

Jordan Wafer decided to move from Stockton to attend Eastside because a family friend told him how it set high goals for students and encouraged them to reach those goals.

Now, after four years living in the dorms, Jordan has collected many examples of the kind of person he wants to be. He said he doesn’t really have any role models but he has a list of traits he likes and people who inspire him: Residential Faculty Darren Chan because of his energy and leadership, Principal Chris Bischof because of his humility, Spanish teacher Shaneka Julian because she is so on-point and disciplined.

Their impact may not have been monumental, but “I’ll carry it around with me and I feel like it would help me grow,” Jordan said.

The friends Jordan made in high school helped him grow into the goofy and random person he is today, and his friends appreciate his positive impact on others.

Junior Omar Fall became friends with Jordan during a boarding weekend in 2021 and got closer after that. He appreciates that Jordan has made him less quiet and more expressive.

“He’s very spontaneous,” Omar said.

Sophomore Oluwafunbi “Funbi” Alamutu also has felt Jordan’s positive impact. They met a couple of summers ago and became close through their shared interest in basketball and living in the dorms. Funbi said that he’s watched Jordan become more mature as he took on bigger responsibilities, like playing point guard on the Panthers boys basketball team, and becoming captain of the team this year. He said he counts on Jordan to give him life advice and sees him as an older brother.

“He’s a man with a lot of friends,” Funbi said.

Jordan will take his eccentric personality to the next level at California State University, Stanislaus in the fall.