CLASS NOTES
FROM HOMELESS TO HERO:
NINJA WARRIOR & JU ALUM,
GABE STEWART '16
BY SHERI WEBBER '93
“Be positive. Be passionate. Be proud to be
an Eagle.” Stewart was playing varsity football, what he
considered a real turning point.
That’s the official school motto of Marjory
Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School,
where Jacksonville University (JU) alumnus
Gabe Stewart ‘16 coached. But the mantra
23-year old Stewart carried —literally
stamped across his chest— into one of
America’s most iconic tests of survival and
athleticism was #MSDStrong. “I fell in love with football. In 2009, we made it
to the Maryland 4A State Championship and
played in the Baltimore Raven Stadium.” He’s
a diehard Ravens fan and lists the experience
among his fondest memories during a time
when he rarely knew where he would sleep
or find his next meal.
On June 13, he appeared in the tenth season
of “American Ninja Warrior.” Only one of
many experiences he will never forget.
Ten years ago…
Stewart entered Huntingtown High School in
Maryland in 2008. “My freshman year, I was
on my own. My mother was struggling with an
addiction and was no longer in the picture.”
Staying with friends, moving from place to
place, with no home to call his own, he says
that football, basketball, and track were what
kept him “on track” and in school during
those difficult years. By his sophomore year,
FEATURES
As a junior, and still without a permanent
residence, Stewart made a connection with
a family who offered him a place to finally
call home. “The Morehead-Yost family are
the kindest people I have ever known,” he
says. By senior year, his excellence on the
field landed him a place on the Maryland All-
State Team and an opportunity to practice at
the University of Maryland and benefit from
collegiate-level coaching.
“I graduated Huntingtown in 2012, though
I never really thought I would earn a high
school diploma, given my circumstances.”
Through a series of re-connections and
introductions, Stewart entered Shepherd
University as a preferred walk-on. Though his
freshman year led to making travel squad, he
made the hard decision to relocate to Florida
with his adoptive family.
“It was always my dream to be a D I athlete,
and I can’t imagine a better experience than
the one I had with JU’s football program,”
Stewart says. Though a stranger—new
to the city, the state, and the University—
Stewart says JU embraced him. “My high
school was hundreds of miles away, nobody
knew me, and still they accepted me. I
found lifelong mentors in the coaches at
JU, friendships in my teammates, and some
amazing professors."
One faculty member who offered continual
encouragement was Assistant Professor of
Sociology Shelley Grant. Stewart says she
was a critical part of securing a job with
Communities In Schools (CIS) following
graduation. “JU shaped me into the person I am
today and gave me the tools to really succeed.”