He’s jumping off cliffs and sailing off the coast of Spain. At JLA, he’s taking the highest level math class available to 8th graders while in 7th. 

Jaiden Strickon is not just a 7th grade student; he is also a sailor, world traveler, and certified genius, found his way to JLA through a friend’s mom: “When we looked into it, we were very interested.” Jaiden and his family were attracted to JLA because “We always wanted a Jewish school with higher academics and a program for athletes like me.” 

Jaiden balances a competitive schedule with lots of extracurricular activities. “I’m good at 3D printing. I’ve made a nerf gun from a 3D design app and a remote controlled car from scratch.” Jaiden is also an excellent skier, and usually finds himself in the snow a couple of times per year. 

There is also sailing–lots of sailing. Since 2022, Jaiden has represented team USA in competitions that have taken him to Spain, Italy, Greece, Puerto Rico, and France. But how does one get to sail the world? “It all started because it was right around the corner but he found it to be very calming,” Jaiden said.  Living in Key Biscayne, Jaiden has lots of access to the ocean: “I sail four times a week and I depart from Key Biscayne yacht club,” Jaiden said. 

When at school, you could find Jaiden constantly catching up on his classwork. However, Jaiden always manages to stay on top of deadlines and make up tests on time. It helps that he can watch Zooms anywhere in the world. 

He’s also quite the artist during the elective period you can find him in the art room sketching away at masterpieces. “I’ve always liked to sketch and it’s great because there isn’t much to make up.”