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Graduation 2024 Commencement Speaker

Isaac Jean-Paul
Head Sprint Coach, Adaptive Sports Program, San Diego State University

Isaac Jean-Paul counts many accomplishments to his name. He was a student leader, an All-American collegiate athletic champion for track and field, an Olympic Trial qualifier, a decorated Paralympic athlete, and now a coach for athletes with disabilities and a motivational speaker. Isaac has accomplished all of this while battling an eye condition called Juvenile Retinoschisis which he was diagnosed with at age two.

During his collegiate career, both athletics and academics were important to him. He was an All-American in 2013 in the high jump and placed first in the high jump for the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2015. He met the qualifying standard in the high jump for the Olympic Trials. In 2017 Isaac joined the Paralympics organization in 2017 and went on to high jump in the World Paralympic Championships setting a new world record. He was prominently featured in a Toyota commercial highlighting Paralympians during the 2022 Super Bowl. Isaac Jean-Paul has a track record of leadership. As a student, he took on leadership roles such as President of the Black Student Union at Harper and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a Lasallian Volunteer at Lewis University.

Isaac currently serves as Head Sprint Coach at San Diego State University for the Adaptive Sports Program. The program has a mission to provide an environment of support for adaptive athletes through the integration of high-caliber education, coaching, and mentorship. He helps prepare and develop the adaptive athlete for excellence in personal, professional, and athletic endeavors. As a motivational speaker, he has touched many lives by sharing his personal story of achieving at the highest levels while overcoming challenges that he doesn’t let define him. He draws upon his life experiences as a black male with disabilities to educate other athletes and peers about his challenges.

In 2022, Isaac received the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from Harper College. This award recognizes alumni who are less than 10 years out from their education at Harper College and already making significant contributions and impact in their careers and community.