Jordan Morris of Sounders FC Named MISD 2024 Pathfinder Award Recipient

Mercer Island, WA, April 23, 2024 – The Mercer Island School District is pleased to present its ninth annual Pathfinder Award to 2013 MIHS graduate Jordan Morris whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today’s youth to make significant contributions to humankind.

Morris is a professional soccer player who is currently in his ninth season with Seattle Sounders FC. While Jordan’s on-pitch exploits for the Sounders, and as a member of Team USA at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, are achievements worthy of the Pathfinder Award. It is his off field support of children with diabetes that show his strength of character and citizenship that inspire today’s youth, which is the ultimate goal of the Pathfinder Award.

Jordan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was nine years old. He created the Jordan Morris Foundation to make sure diabetes does not define the lives of the volumes of children living with it today. His Foundation is dedicated to educating, inspiring and supporting children living with Type 1 diabetes. The Foundation aims to achieve these goals via community outreach and fundraising to support a variety of programs.

While Morris cannot be in attendance because of team commitments, he will be honored at the Mercer Island Schools Foundation Breakfast of Champions at MIHS on Tuesday, April 30.  Morris has recorded a video message about being selected as the 2024 Pathfinder Award that will be shown at the Breakfast. In the video he speaks to his experiences at MIHS and thanks our community for supporting him. MIHS assistant principal Erica Hill, who Jordan has identified as his favorite teacher while at MIHS, will introduce the video message and after the video the Pathfinder Award will be presented to Jordan’s parents, Leslie and Mike, who will be attending the Breakfast of Champions. 

Morris is the most decorated soccer player to graduate from Mercer Island High School. Morris played junior varsity in his freshman year and varsity as a sophomore and junior. He ended his career at MIHS with 32 goals and 26 assists. Morris was the recipient of the Gatorade Washington State Player of the Year and NSCAA high school All-American in 2012. He led the Islanders to a state runner-up finish in 2012. Morris went on to play for the prestigious Seattle Sounders FC Academy team during his senior year of high school, where he scored 27 goals in 28 regular-season games and was named National Academy Player of the Year.

He played club soccer for eight years with Eastside FC, where he won the state championship six times and was named US Youth Soccer Best 11 and US National Championships Golden Ball winner. After high school, Morris set his sights on college and led his Stanford Cardinal team to the Pac-12 championship twice and won the NCAA championship his junior year. In his junior year he was named the winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy winner, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate soccer player in the country. Jordan signed with Sounders FC in 2016 and has appeared in 170 games in nine seasons with 53 goals and 25 assists. He helped lead his team to the MLS Championship in 2016 and 2019. Morris has represented his country as a member of the U.S National Team 55 times, most notably at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

His Foundation supports children with diabetes in these ways:

• Created a fund at Seattle Children’s Hospital to support the needs of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients and their families, specifically the pyscho-social support of patients who would otherwise not be covered.
• Deliver JMO bags to newly-diagnosed T1D kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital/ Children’s Outpatient Diabetes Clinic.
• Host the annual Jordan Morris T1D Soccer Camp.
• Send JMO bags to newly diagnosed T1D kids around the country.
• Fund the T1D Playmaker Program which allows a child with T1D to meet with Jordan after each home and away Sounders FC game.

Morris, through his work on and off the soccer pitch, is the definition of the Pathfinder Award objectives, which are to recognize distinguished alumni from MIHS that inspire students and residents with their accomplishments and show alumni and students they are part of an extraordinary global community who support each other and are dedicated to making the world a better place for humankind.

Morris grew up on an island with committed schools and residents, embraced the larger world around him and pushed the boundaries of his potential to truly have a global impact. He is most deserving of MISD’s highest alumni honor.

The Pathfinder Selection Committee received 15 nominations from the community for this year’s award. Morris was selected for the award by the committee, comprised of the members listed below, after a vigorous review of all nominations.

Annabelle Hegarty – MIHS Senior
Asha Woerner – MIHS Senior. Student Representative to the School Board
Ava Zhang – MIHS Junior. Student Representative to the School Board
Daniel Becker – MIHS Class of 2001. Parent of future MISD student.
David Rosenbaum – Deputy Mayor City of Mercer Island
Ian Henry – MIHS Class of 1991, Communications Coordinator MISD
Sol Park – MIHS Senior
Tammy Shoop – Executive Director, Mercer Island Schools Foundation

At Mercer Island High School there is a permanent display of plaques that recognize all Pathfinder Awards recipients as well distinguished graduates recognized prior to the Pathfinder Awards. A plaque for Morris will be added to the display.