Être Interview with Jordan Reeves
Hey now, innovators - meet Jordan Reeves! Jordan was born with a left arm that stops just before her elbow…but that didn’t stop her from doing anything! At age 11, with the help of a 3-D printer, she built a glitter-shooting prosthetic and became famous! Her other 3-D inventions have been featured on The Rachel Ray Show, MakerFaire, TEDx and at tons of other events! She and her mom are writing a book (coming out in 2019…we’re crazy excited!) and her foundation Born Just Right allows her to be an advocate & mentor for other kids with limb differences. Oh yeah, and she’s a CrossFit athlete. She’s been a hero of ours for a while…and we couldn’t wait to interview our new – and seriously cool – BFF…Jordan!
Ê: We seriously love your Born Just Right mission and are so excited to hear about your new book! What made you decide to write a book and were you nervous about becoming an author at such a young age?
JR: I don't see a lot of disability stories in middle school chapter books. There are a lot of stories in children's picture books. That's why I worked with my mom to write something for middle schoolers. I was a little nervous about the book and I sometimes I get nervous about how kids at my school will react when they find out I have a book.
Ê: You talk about how important STEM education is & we TOTALLY agree! How old were you when you first became interested in STEM and what would you say to middle school girls who sometimes get discouraged from pursuing STEM subjects?
JR: You should just give it a try. You might be surprised to see how STEAM (I like adding that A for arts) is a part of everything in our lives. I discovered design when I was ten and it feels really amazing when you can make an idea become real.
Ê: We know the design for your 3D prosthetic arm changed a lot over time...are there new things you are developing or engineering right now? Do you have a favorite?
JR: I'm still working on my glitter blaster because the glitter spills sometimes when I'm not shooting it and there's still some glitter in the arm. I'm also working on an arm that's kind of like a Swiss Army Knife but it's voice controlled and can deliver tools I need when I'm designing like a scraper to get things out of my 3D printer, pens, pencils and scissors. My favorite thing I'm doing right now is renovating my bedroom!
Insta-follow Jordan @jordanjustright and Born Just Right @bjrorg to keep up with her latest inventions, book releases & Superhero Boost clinics! We. Just. Can’t. Wait.