This 8th grade journal was an assignment for Englekirk's drama class. According to the collecting curator, "The journal was assigned to help encourage the students to become more self-aware actors. He was pretty honest in the journal and says it’s surprising looking back on it that no one ever reached out to him after reading it. But he always thought his teachers were supportive and available."
Jordan Max-Ryan Englekirk was born intersex in 1972 and because he looked like a girl, grew up as Jennifer. Englekirk has personally identified as male for most of his life and growing up struggled with this dichotomy. Often bullied in school and berated by teachers and adults in his life, Englekirk finally made the transition to male in 2012, at 40 years old. He now lives as a man but during high school, while still living as Jennifer, Englekirk became a member of the girls’ softball team and soon was a leader on the diamond. Sports was an important outlet for creating his identity. Englekirk kept sports in his life as an adult and eventually became the first woman to ump at Cooperstown Little Majors Stadium for Little League tournament games.
Multi-colored ticket to the 2004 Summer Olympic games in Athens, Greece. There is a black drawing of a person playing basketball on the front of the ticket along with a silver seal next to it. This ticket is for August 27, 2004 for basketball in the Olympic Indoor Hall, Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Gate A2, Section 140, Row 34, Seat 16, Number 647. This ticket was used by the donor, Brent Glass while visiting the games.
The 2004 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad were held in Athens, Greece with 204 countries, 6,296 men and 4,329 women athletes participating. This was the first time the Games returned to their city of origin since the 1896 Games. American swimmer Michael Phelps earned six gold medals, setting a single-Games record with eight medals while the American women won the gold in the 4x200 relay. American Mariel Zagunis won the gold in the debut sport of Women’s sabre fencing and gymnast Carly Patterson became the second American woman to win gold in the all-around competition. The United States won the medal count with 101 medals.