By Dalton Davis, School of Business and Management in Dallas
“If I get burned then I get burned.”
Why is a determined 16-year-old saying something so assertive?
Well I just told you… Jensen McKey is determined. To get out of the shadow and become independent no matter what it takes, she is willing to take the risk.
Throughout Jensen’s life she’s always been behind the scenes. Jensen is the middle child of seven siblings. Growing up in such a large household she says she was always run over and sometimes felt overlooked. She grew up with “the mentality that I could never do anything by myself, for myself or with myself,” Jensen said. This complicated family dynamic fostered insecurities within her. Unfortunately, those carried over into Jensen’s schooling, where she found it difficult to be sure of herself in a topic until she knew everything about it.
Despite the odds, Jensen has defeated the negativity. She was born in Texas but now resides in Harrah and attends the Oklahoma statewide online school Epic. As a rising sophomore, Jensen describes herself as a caring individual who loves soccer and photography. She has her mind set on journalism and media production, sticking behind the scenes-but now through a lens. Jensen loves photography not only because she’s good at it but because she says, “I’m bad with words.” Jensen also plays soccer competitively for a boys team and a girls team. She even referees, so soccer is a big part of her life.
She plans to attend the University of Oklahoma but is adamant about prioritizing scholarships and money since her parents won’t be paying for her schooling. She plans to obtain her master’s and doctoral degrees and then start her career in media production.
Jensen is presently in a place where she is comfortable to be herself because she learned that everyone is not her friend.
“Straight up stop talking to them,” Jensen said of a strategy she learned last year on a mission trip while guiding younger individuals. She realized that if she was doubting herself then no one would take her seriously. She decided to “step my game up” to help them — and herself. She’s applied that mindset to her home life and now she is stronger than ever, taking on the challenge.
“And if I get burned I get burned,” she said, “it’s my fault.”
