01 May 2022 Kid of the Month: Jordynn Bumpers

By Becky Bell

To Jordynn Bumpers, 9, being either a famous basketball player or a dentist seems like a good thing to become when she is a grown-up.

The third-grader at Sidney Deener Elementary School in Searcy said she sees the upside of each profession.

“Well, I love basketball and I play it, and I thought about the dentist because I really like the dentist. They are nice and I like cleaning my teeth,” she said. “I floss every day with a pick, and I go twice a year to get cleanings. When I go to the dentist, they hand out cookies and toothpaste.”

Now, wait a second. Do they hand out cookies at the dentist?

“Yes, they want us to keep coming back,” her mother, LaToya Pruitt, confirmed, chuckling. “They have chocolate chip, sugar, different kinds.” Jordynn said she would remind everyone flossing is not something to skip in a daily routine.

“Because it’s good for them and good for their health,” she said.

But let us get back to basketball and how she sees that fitting into her life. Once a week, she has private lessons, and plays basketball on a travel team every other weekend. Jordynn said she has been dribbling since the first grade. The traveling team coach recruited her because he saw potential in her, she said.

“We were playing his team, and he thought I was good because I’m a good shooter and I have good defense,” she said.

What she would like to eventually do is to go to a good school for basketball and become famous for her athletic ability and work on her dentistry at that college as well. Her mother is supportive.

“I think it’s amazing because that’s my retirement plan,” Pruitt said, chuckling again. “She really has a passion for basketball, and I’m so glad she is not just into electronics.”

From her success in classes, it sounds like Jordynn would have no trouble making the grades necessary to become a dentist. She excels at all subjects, but says math and science are her favorites.

“I’m good at multiplication and I won the math bee. It’s where most of the people who are good at multiplication go and compete for first, second, and third place.”

The third-grader also likes science and experiments. “Most of the people in my class like reading and social studies.”

Another characteristic about Jordynn is that she enjoys helping other classmates who are struggling with a lesson, her mother explained.

“She is truly an amazing kid. All her teachers, all the daycare workers brag on her and said she doesn’t fuss when they ask her to do something,” Pruitt said. “There was a Hispanic student who didn’t speak much English and she was the only one who tried to help him fit in. She is great at making friends and I truly admire that about her.”

The teachers call Jordynn a “mama hen” because she is willing to help everybody. “I like helping others and it’s nice. I like seeing people smile. I want to treat others the way I want to be treated,” Jordynn said.