TWHS Sophomore 'strikes' a smile while chasing dreams

THE WOODLANDS, Texas- Let me win, but if I don't succeed let me be brave in the attempt.

That motto is one the Special Olympics has had at its side for decades, and for Jonah Hickman of The Woodlands High School, he uses that mantra in his everyday life. As a member of the bowling team, he knows that he may not always succeed, but he will never be afraid of the attempt.

“I love making friends, bowling strikes, and having fun,” said Jonah. “I’m going to go and tryout for the bowling team again this year, (we’ll) see what happens.”

For Jonah, he and his family discovered his talent at a rather young age, and from that point on, Jonah knew he was passionate about bowling.

“We took them bowling for their 7th birthday,” recalled father Tim Hickman. “That’s where we saw he not only had an interest, but a talent in bowling. From there he went onto recreational bowling, then the Special Olympics team, and now he is on the high school team.”

Last year was Jonah’s first at The Woodlands High School, and he was excited to see what the school had to offer, despite not knowing what to expect. To make sure he stayed on track and stayed focus, Jonah always prepared himself the night before.

“I have to be a mature grownup, make my own breakfast, and do my own things,” said Jonah. “I go to bed by 8:30pm and wake around 5:30am because I know I have a big day ahead of me.”

If there is one person Jonah has come to rely on during his time at school, it’s his twin sister Hannah Hickman. Hannah is a member of The Woodlands varsity volleyball team, as well as an accomplished singer. However, for her, she readily admits the most important thing in her world is her brother.

“For Jonah, he didn’t see any limits for himself,” said Hannah. “So whenever I tried out for the swim team he was like ‘Alright I'm going to learn how to swim.’ So I helped him and taught him how to swim. Anything I did, he knew he could do too.”

Jonah and Hannah admitted to having a ‘sibling rivalry’ when asked about their experiences playing together on the same YMCA teams growing up, but they knew it pushed them to be better. Looking back on their childhood now, it was easy for Hannah to see how Jonah has helped shape her views on the world.

“Having Jonah as my brother growing up definitely changes your outlook on people,” posited Hannah. “He showed me how to be a lot more patient with people, accepting, to look past a lot of things. People shouldn’t be valued by what their abilities are or what their limits are, they should be valued by their strengths. Kids like Jonah will go up and talk to anyone they see. They won’t judge anyone by what they look like or what their reputation may be, they will see them just by their character.”

For Tim, he wanted to make sure both Hannah and Jonah had the opportunity to not only grow as people, but to have the chance to engage in the classroom and if they choose, to engage in the field of competition. After being called by The Woodlands bowling coach Jan Melnyk to join the team in the state tournament in San Antonio last year, Jonah knew he had a place where he belonged.

“He got to bowl in some games last year,” said Tim. “It was a big deal for him, he got his first letter. It was exciting.”

According to Hannah, Coach Melnyk is a big reason why Jonah is having such a great time with the team. In fact, Coach Melnyk even visits Jonah in Conroe to give him private lessons and ensure Jonah is improving his game.

“She is a big reason why he is so good,” said Hannah. “ She’s really involved and really influential with the kids.”

Jonah has reached a top score of 160, but he says he knows he can do better this year if he keeps practicing. He also thinks he can top his high of three strikes in a row. However, not only is Jonah a successful bowler, he continues to play flag football every year, and runs track and field and is a two time 100-meter-dash champion. Jonah is also passionate about working out, and is a consistent participant in basketball having made the state tournament for the Special Olympics in Arlington last year.

“Honestly, I think he pushes me because he is so strong and really athletic,” said Hannah. “He is actually even better than me at basketball.”

While Jonah will always bowl and continue playing sports, he has bigger dreams as he continues to grow as a person and prepare himself for life after school.

“I’m in an entrepreneurship class right now,” Jonah said with a smile. “One day I really want to open a bed and breakfast in New York City. I also would want to build some new restaurants as part of the hotel business.”

As Jonah continues to strive toward his dream and lives everyday with a smile, it’s not lost on him that he has friends, family, and faculty there to support him when he bowls or does anything he wants with his life. The confidence Jonah possesses, and the team he has surrounding him, allows him to be comfortable in making the effort to win, while never having to worry about second-guessing the attempt.