We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Jaidon Joseph Smith Educational Scholarship and EMBARK Scholarships, awarded during the Senior Awards Ceremony at Walter Johnson High School.
This year’s $10,000 scholarship was awarded to Liam Theodorakos, a student who has shown remarkable perseverance, self-advocacy, and academic excellence within the GT/LD program. Liam will be attending the University of Pittsburgh Honors College to study biomedical engineering.
We were also honored to recognize Nola Weatherly, Leo Sanford-Kelly, and Elia Baratz as recipients of our EMBARK Scholarships, which support rising seniors in the GT/LD program preparing for college.
These awards are given in memory of our son, Jaidon Joseph Smith, a 2021 WJ graduate who tragically passed away just days after graduation. Jaidon’s experience in the GT/LD program transformed his academic journey and inspired the creation of this foundation.
We invite you to watch the full award presentation and learn more about our mission in the video below.
To support future recipients, please consider making a donation at www.jaidonsmith.com/donate.
Thank you to the staff, students, and community members who continue to help us carry Jaidon’s legacy forward.
We would like to thank all of you who have donated to this and especially thank our 2024 Scholarship Selection Committee & Board Members for their time and expertise in determining the awardees, Benita Cohen, Nancy Edwards, Jeanne Ellinport, Jacob Hartranft, Jenna Landy, Shari Perry, Kyra Smith, Laylie Smith, Troy Smith, Debbie Szyfer, and Rochelle Vega, because without you all it would not have been possible to honor Jaidon’s legacy.