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Life moves quickly for 13-year-old Jarrett Carter. At three he could read. At five he declared a future in botany. At eight he collected seeds from everything he ate. By 12 he was cross breeding roses. And within this past year he survived what at first seemed a terminal illness.
With an IQ of 140 and a wide, easy grin, Jarrett (or Jay, as his friends call him) is as sociable as he is smart. As challenging as he is introspective. This fall he plans to attend the Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the University of Denver.
"He is extremely bright. His mind moves so fast," his mother, Tamara, says of her only child. "Since a young age he has had a total fascination with plants and growing things."
And while Jay has repeatedly astounded the world with his intelligence, the events of the past year took a toll on his body and spirit.
In a sudden and disorienting turn of events, he was diagnosed with a rare blood type found in only five percent of the African-American population. The symptoms mimic that of leukemia and for Jay the illness required numerous specialists, several surgeries and a five-month hospital stay. Just as his body began to heal, a dark fog of depression settled over the normally vivacious young man.
At just about that time Jay discovered Denver Urban Gardens and the DeLaney Community Farm. What began as just a six-hour mentoring project arranged between DUG and Community Resources, Inc., has turned into a summer-long program that has nurtured Jay's body, mind and spirit.
"His absolute salvation is working in the soil," states DUG's Judy Elliott, who has taken Jay under her wing.
Jay spends every Tuesday at the Farm under the tutelage of Elliott. Together they dig, weed, plant, develop soil and talk. Jay is learning valuable skills in plant propagation, companion planting and organic insect control, to name just a few. But as Judy sees it, he is also gaining a deeper sense of himself.
"He has an innate curiosity about nature and he is learning that a garden is one of the best ways to express yourself in diverse ways," she says.
Jay has an equally philosophical approach to gardening. "There's just a feeling you get. It's like watching a kid grow up," he explains. "You give them all the love and attention and just watch 'em grow. I've always liked plants. Everyone in my family likes plants."
In fact, as a baby Jay's first steps were taken in his Grandma's garden. He and his Grandma--Olivia Williams, a retired pastor--are inseparable. "She has been a tremendous influence in his life," notes Tamara.
Olivia, Tamara and her husband, Ullysses, are thrilled to see Jay involved at the Farm.
"We live in Curtis Park," says Tamara. "I can see drug deals fro my front porch and gangs are all around. A day at the Farm to Jay is like stepping into another world. It is so good for him to get out of the city and go to a place where he can see that things are different and he can thrive in what he loves. It's just what he needs to keep his interest alive."
At 13, Carter is at a time when every action is driven by the teenhood ideal of "fitting in." Jay knows that he stands apart from his peers but time has not yet allowed him to see the beauty in such a gift. When asked about his interests aside from gardening he turns suddenly sullen, as if he's trying hard to remain a typical teen. "I like what other kids like," he mumbles with a shrug, "Gameboy, TV, hanging out with friends."
"He's at an age where it's not cool to be smart," explains his mother. "Other kids can be so cruel. I think being around Judy and the Farm really helps him to feel it's ok to be smart."
Smart or not, this budding botantist is gaining hands-on experience -- and has the calluses and fatigue to prove it.
"This is hard work," he says with a smile. "When I go home (from a day at the Farm) I go right to sleep."
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