Marh 2025 | Vol. 11 Iss. 3
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West Jordan
See Inside...
Preventing copper theft
ADHD attention
Parents urge more focus on the behavior
Page 4
Steel lids could be the answer for public works
Page 19
Small but mighty community By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
A small charter school community strengthens one family in their darkest moment.
T
he Hawthorn Academy family has rallied around third grade teacher Maggie Licea and her 10-year-old son Jaxen Christensen, a Hawthorn student who is terminally ill. “It’s a small community, but we’re mighty, that’s for sure,” Hawthorn Academy teacher Alisha George said. Hawthorn Academy, a free public charter school, has 1,400 students between the two campuses. Colleagues and families from both the West Jordan and South Jordan campuses have donated money, gift cards and meals to the family. To enable Licea and her husband to spend their remaining time with their son at home, teachers have helped facilitate substitute teachers and donated their PTO days to supplement Licea’s FMLA time off. “We’ve had people help—from people that are really close to her at school to people who just know her in passing and just know her by her name—I mean, she’s still one of us, and we
just want her to feel completely surrounded with support while she goes through something so unimaginable,” George said. In late January, George and her two sisters Autumn Brown and Amber Walker who also teach at Hawthorn Academy, organized a community fundraiser to benefit the Licea-Christensen family. “It started out as just kind of a yard sale/ bake sale, and then it just kind of took off,” George said. “We had people reaching out from all walks of life—just so many people rallied around to offer things and donate things. It was the most amazing outreach I’ve ever been a part of.” There were Nintendo switches, and brand new TVs donated. The school custodian donated a moped. Dominoes and Massage Envy donated gift cards. Brennen Woodward with Blue Gecko Apparel printed T-shirts with Jaxen’s favorite animal, a squirrel, which has become a symbol of support among his friends and family. People sold baked goods, jewelry, new and
The yard sale/bake sale fundraiser organized by Hawthorn Academy teachers raised $14,300 for their
Continued page 16 colleague and her family. (Photo courtesy of Alisha George)
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