Featured Author: Jiaqi Gao

Jiaqi “Jackey” Gao wrote this book as a 15-year-old high school first-year student at St. John Bosco High School. He is an international student from Shanghai, China. Now a 16-year-old sophomore, this bright and talented young man is on the principal’s honor roll and the basketball team, and he is in the school’s Entrepreneur’s Pathway Program. Jackey has all the numbers: a 4.0 unweighted GPA, (4.7 weighted), and he stands six foot, four inches tall, which explains why the first English word he learned was “Duck!” Jiaqi is interested in majoring in Business Analytics, Economics, Math, or a related field in college. He has also participated in the robotics team, debate team, and regional business plan competition.

The Adventures of Kenzo, the Fisherman: A Hero’s Journey, a work of semifiction, is Jiaqi’s first book.

In his spare time, Jiaqi helps build houses for financially challenged families by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and HFH’s retail store (ReStore), participating in Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), Heal the Bay—Ocean, and Watershed Protection, beach and roadside cleanups, popup pet adoption fairs, and animal rescues. Over this past summer he has also been helping blind people participate in activities such as basketball and running.

Jackey produces the video and audio podcast “JackeyCast Insights,” which helps promote pet adoption, environmental leanups, and support for other highly worthwhile community service causes.