Step-Siblings Form Winning Combination
Dakhari Campbell & Jazmine Richmond
• School: Henry Clay High
• Grade: 11th
• Sports: Basketball, track
• Academics: Jazmine is a 4.0 student and Dakhari carries a 3.8 GPA.
• Parents: Toya & Jonathan
A little bit of yours, mine and ours has worked especially well for step-siblings Dakhari Campbell and Jazmine Richmond, junior basketball players at Henry Clay High.
The lives of the two teens came together nearly a decade ago when their respective parents were married – Toya (Dakhari’s mom) and Jonathan (Jazmine’s dad) have since had their own child – 6-year-old Justin.
Jazmine and Dakhari quickly bonded over basketball and have supported each other in school and in sports ever since. They have their own social circles at school but take the same courses.
Both are enrolled in advanced language arts, algebra II, chemistry, U.S. history and sit in the same sports officiating class. The only divergence is an elective – Jazmine in art, Dakhari in psychology.
Their report cards are equally similar. Jazmine is a 4.0 student. Dakhari carries a 3.8 GPA, and both were honorable mention Academic All-State.
After school, they’re members of the Future Educators Association and Harambee, a community service club. Dakhari also participates in Black Males Working, a mentoring program.
“They get along great,” Toya said. “We’re blessed to have two teens that help each other all the time.”
Said Jonathan: “It’s different from how I was with my siblings. They are just about the perfect siblings.”
Perfection is what Jazmine seeks for the basketball team this season. A starter for the past two years at shooting guard, she was honorable mention All-City last year and won a game against Dunbar with a last-second basket.
Henry Clay is a team on the rise, Jazmine said. “Henry Clay will be great, top five in the Region.”
Jonathan, a Blue Devil assistant coach, agrees. And he knows his basketball. He was an All-City guard at Bryan Station and played in college at North Carolina A&T.
He shares his basketball expertise with Dakhari during their frequent one-on-one games.
Dakhari, a 5-foot-8 varsity point guard, also stars on the track team. As a fifth-grader, he finished third in the country in the 100 at the Hershey Nationals in Pennsylvania, and ran on the Henry Clay 4×4 relay team that qualified for the state meet last spring.
The goals for Jazmine and Dakhari are as similar as their lives – both want to play ball (or run track) in college. That’s to be determined but in the meantime they can count on each other’s support.
Said Jazmine: “It’s good to have a brother like that.”
Dakhari returns the sentiment: “We talk a lot and help each other.”
Like Dad said, just about a perfect sibling relationship.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nominate Your Scholar Athlete