ST. LOUIS, MO – Eighteen-year old Lola Jordan says when she lost her mother to a heart ailment three years ago she relied on her faith, friends and family to help her survive the pain. Now Jordan is returning that support. Earlier this year, she surprised her former elementary school – River Roads Lutheran School in North St. Louis – with a $1,000 donation from her mother’s pension fund.
“I decided to donate because God gave me a gift, so I wanted to give a gift as well,” said Jordan, who is finishing her freshman year at North Park University in Chicago. “My mother wanted me to go to a Christian school. She wanted me to learn about Jesus. River Roads really helped me learn about Jesus and morals and values.”
Principal Yvonne Boyd said she felt “excited and overjoyed” when she found out about the donation. “I was actually amazed at the fact that a young college student would think to reach back like that, especially with all of the struggles and trials she’s gone through,” said Mrs. Boyd, who taught Jordan when she was in the fourth grade. “She [Lola] was one of our leaders … one of the students that we could depend on.”
Mrs. Boyd said the school will use the donation to cover registration costs for five students for the 2010-2011 school year. According to Boyd, “We thought it would be fitting to honor Lola and her mother by giving these children the gift that Lola received – the opportunity to learn about Jesus.” In addition, the school presented Jordan with a special plaque during its end of the year awards ceremony, Tuesday, May 27.
Jordan, who graduated from River Roads in 2005 and Lutheran High School North in 2009, says she hopes to follow the example of her mother, Patricia Jordan, who taught music in a juvenile detention center. “I just really want to help people,” said Jordan. “My mom, she really helped kids.” Jordan says using her mother’s pension to help others is an important part of that legacy.
River Roads Lutheran School serves 106 students in grades pre-k through eighth grade and is located at 8623 Church Road., in North St. Louis’ Baden Neighborhood, www.riverroadslutheranschool.com. Established in 1869, River Roads is a member of the Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA), www.metrolutheranschools.org.
