JackEdward Schmick Strides Toward Success

“It always began with a black trash bag,” said JackEdward Schmick, a first-year Psychology major, recalling each time he relocated from age 5-10 while he was in foster care.

Looking back years later, he started to process how it felt to stuff his personal belongings into a garbage bag, leaving behind everything familiar, not knowing what would happen next.

“I was blind to it when I was younger,” he said, “but I realized how demoralizing it was.”

In talking with his adoptive mother, he realized he could change that experience for kids in foster care today. He started to collect backpacks and duffle bags and so far has donated 100 bags. He calls them “bags for buddies” and founded an organization to reach foster kids throughout New Jersey.

The bags serve their purpose in packing, but they carry a much greater mission. “The bags give a little bit of happiness,” he said.

“I love to see how it impacts others,” he added.

Running Is Our Therapy

Schmick describes his childhood as a “roaring journey.” For a long time, he didn’t want to talk or think about it. Replaying the bad times in his mind was the last place he wanted to be.

Traditional therapy sessions didn’t work. His family searched for someone who might be able to help.

Guy Gordon, a personal trainer, came to meet with Schmick on one of the hottest days of the summer.

“Let’s go for a run,” said the former Nike pro athlete.

Schmick was caught off guard, but laced up his sneakers, or grandpa shoes as the kids at school called them. He didn’t know then, but that run would change his life.

As they ran together, Gordon asked him about the shoes and the kids at school. Schmick was running fast, but suddenly he was running faster.

“He taught me that I can use other avenues to channel my frustration and feelings rather than just balling them up. Running became my therapy. That's how I could channel my energy. I took that idea and ran with it. I'm trying to show other people that there are other avenues, besides balling it up or going to counseling, like art or sports,” he explained.

Gordon unlocked new potential in Schmick and told him to never forget the that “R.I.O.T. or running is our therapy.”

He was in fifth grade when running became an influential part of his life. His running career continues at Stockton where he is a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams.

The Unwritten Chapters

When he was 16, Schmick began to write his story—covering everything he tried to bury in his mind while growing up in foster care, how running got him on track, his high school sports career and how he learned to conquer his biggest opponent.

Schmick published his book “Your Biggest Opponent” this year during his first year at Stockton.

“People tend to overlook the process of how you got to where you are. They might judge you positively or negatively on where you are now. It took a lot for me to get to where I am now, and it wasn't just a straight road. There were ups and downs, and I want to bring that story to life,” he said.

The unwritten chapters are happening right now at Stockton University.

He explained that the “inclusivity and friendly atmosphere” make the Stockton experience very personable.

He chose Psychology because he wants to learn everything about how the brain works, and he hopes to become a counselor to help kids who are in the same shoes he was once in.

"I want to make therapy easier and more efficient for other people. You can't come out of foster care or go through a traumatic event and be perfectly normal,” he said.

While taking Intro to Psychology, he “started to connect the pieces.”

“It was interesting to learn about disorders that I might not have, but I've seen signs from other people, and see what causes them. And to be like, wow, I went through that or I saw that, but never understood it,” he explained.

One thing Schmick wants people to remember is to embrace failure as part of the journey along the learning curve.

"It's never over. If you hit rock bottom, there's no further down. You can only go up. Find something to believe in, to hold on to, because you're not going to always have the feeling of confidence. You're going to need hope or faith from somewhere. There's always an answer or solution to a problem, and sometimes it just takes time to figure it out.”

Story by Susan Allen