Scottsdale Prep Freshman Reaches Great Heights on the Climbing Wall Facebook Twitter Email This Post Scottsdale Prep August 19, 2025 Most freshmen start high school with small steps, but Scottsdale Prep’s Jackson Day is already climbing to incredible heights—literally. A nationally ranked rock climber, Day has made a name for himself on the competitive climbing scene while balancing the academic challenges of high school. Day’s love for climbing began as a casual monthly outing with his parents, inspired in part by his dad who had climbed in the past. It didn’t take long for him to realize he had potential to climb competitively. “I started climbing like seriously four years ago,” he explains. His training ramped up quickly. “I started practicing two days a week… for about a year before I switched to three days a week. And then for the last two years I’ve been doing four days a week,” he said, sharing his dedication to the sport. His commitment has paid off in the form of national recognition. Day is not only a three-time USA Climbing Youth National Team member, but he is also currently the only National Team athlete of any age category in the entire state of Arizona. Last year alone, he finished 3rd in the nation in Bouldering, 4th in the nation in Sport Climbing, and earned the title of 2024 Bouldering Regional Champion. And his list of titles continues to grow. He is the 2025 Bouldering Divisional Champion, 2024 Ropes Divisional Champion, a two-time Ropes Regional Champion (2023 and 2025). Simply put, Jackson is one of the top young climbers in the country, and he’s only just getting started. For Day, climbing isn’t just physical, but it’s also deeply mental. “There’s a big mental portion of it,” explained Day. “You’re getting more conquered by your fears and it’s really hard to overcome those fears more than anything. It’s like creative problem-solving. You can’t just warm up your muscles. You have to get into the climbing part of it and warm up your brain to solve the problems on the wall.” He credits both climbing and his experiences at Great Hearts for helping him conquer mental barriers. “I think the challenges that I faced at Scottsdale Prep have helped me prepare my mind for it, helping me flourish as a person,” he reflected. Through it all, Jackson has noticed a boost in his self-esteem. “I think my confidence has definitely grown since I started climbing and just like to do something that you’re good at, it can help build confidence,” he says. Photo courtesy of @gajdaphotography “Scottsdale Prep and Ms. Nicole Fornabaio have been very supportive of Jackson,” shared his mother, Nadia Day. “Helping him run two different climbing clubs last year. One was instructional for all of 6th-12th grade students and the second was 8th-12th grade only, and more focused on building a community around climbing.” With a grounded mindset and an impressive resume already under his belt, Jackson Day is a remarkable example of perseverance and youthful ambition. As he begins his freshman year at Scottsdale Prep, he’s already proven that he’s more than ready to keep ascending, both in classes and on the world climbing stage. Photo courtesy of @gajdaphotography Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contactjmoore@greatheartsamerica.org. Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/. Great Hearts, Great Stories Monthly Roundup Receive monthly news and updates by subscribing to our newsletter. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Enter Email Confirm Email PhoneThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.