Shannon Jones Jr.

Shannon Jones Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, to his mother, Gladys Jones, and his father, Shannon Jones Sr. He also has a younger sister, Alijah Jones, whom his mother adopted in 2021. After several years of moving due to his father’s job, his family settled in Kansas, where he has lived since 2011. He is the son of two engineers, and his mother is a first-generation citizen from Gambia. He credits much of his success and positive attributes to his parents’ support, guidance, and perseverance.

Shannon is a current senior at Maize High School and has made an effort to challenge himself while also pursuing his passions. He is a member of his school’s Principal Advisory Council and Athletic Director Advisory team, where he has enjoyed assisting in improving the quality of his school and growing significantly as a leader. One of his greatest loves is football, which he has played since the age of four. In high school, he has been the starting varsity running back for his team for the past three years.

Another thing Shannon enjoys is teaching and helping others. Along with aiding his classmates at school, he is also an assistant tutor as part of his mother’s mentoring program. Mentorship and tutoring offer Shannon a great opportunity to give back and impact his community.  A newfound hobby Shannon has come to love is skiing. He has enjoyed ski trips to the slopes of Colorado for consecutive years, and hopes to continue for years to come.

Shannon’s greatest passion is for science, which has led him to take every science course that his high school has to offer. This passion dates back to elementary school, where his love for astronomy led him to aspire to become an Astronaut. However, after getting to high school and partaking in several classes, he has found his true love to be for biology.

During Shannon’s high school football career, he suffered two separate season-ending knee injuries that required surgery. Fortunately, due to the help of his orthopedic surgeon, he was able to recover fully and finish the rest of his football career. This experience, combined with his love for biology, has led Shannon to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon, with the hopes of making a positive impact on others in the same way he was impacted by his surgeon.

Shannon is deeply honored and grateful to become a Lifelong Learning Scholar. He is excited about the mentorship, companionship, and opportunities that come with being part of the Timothy P. O’Shaughnessy Foundation. He hopes to maintain and expand on his curiosity and passion for learning, as he embodies Timothy’s legacy.