FARGO — An 18-year-old student who moved from Omaha to Fargo just weeks ago is defying the odds and preparing to graduate from high school on June 6 after overcoming immense challenges — including neglect, instability and an academic setback of nearly three semesters.
Jason Seminara-Bronston, who will soon take the last name of his adoptive parents, Rayburn, was living in a difficult situation in Omaha earlier this year. He was sharing a home with his sister, her boyfriend, and her three children, and struggling in school with a GPA below 1.0.
“I was being stolen from — all checks that were provided from the government for me were being stolen … stolen and spent on weed from my sister,” Jason said. “It wasn’t the best. I was falling behind in school.”
Jason had spent time in foster care earlier in life and was living with his grandmother until she was killed in a car crash in October.
When Jason’s aunt and uncle, Kristi and Cliff Rayburn of Fargo, were contacted about his repeated absences from school this spring, they made the trip to Omaha. Though Jason had only known them since 2021, he asked if he could live with them.
“He approached us and basically said, ‘Hey, I’m not happy with where I’m at now. Can I come with you?’ And it takes some guts to do that,” Cliff Rayburn said.
Determined to earn his diploma, he began commuting back and forth between Omaha and Fargo on weekends to stay with the Rayburns, whom he now calls Mom and Dad. In early May, he was allowed to officially transfer to Dakota High School in Fargo.
“Look, you’ve got essentially three semesters of school that you have to do. You know, there’s a lot of work there,” Cliff told him.
Jason took on the challenge headfirst. “I was like, well, might as well just try,” he said.
He completed all the necessary coursework in just 12 days.
“He did something nobody thought he was going to be able to do, and he did it in 30 less days than anybody even anticipated,” Cliff said.
Now, Jason is catching up on childhood experiences he says he never had. He’s spent the past few weeks learning how to ride a motorcycle, having water gun fights, and eating family dinners — something he says he never experienced growing up.
“(The) first time I sat down and had dinner with them, that was the first time I’ve actually ever done that in my whole life. And I didn’t even tell them that. They didn’t even know that,” he said.
Jason plans to enlist in the Army and is currently speaking with recruiters.
“It’s more fun to watch him not only grow, but also, even at 18, still realize he can be a kid, right?” Cliff said.
Kristi Rayburn, who is currently in Nebraska working through a custody battle for Jason’s nieces and nephews, said via text that it was Jason’s choice to turn his life around.
“I think every kid deserves that opportunity. And when an 18-year-old comes to me and says, ‘Hey, these are my plans. This is what I want to do,’ and he puts the work in — why would you not?” Kristi said.
Jason will walk across the stage at Dakota High School on June 6, proving what can be done with the right support and determination.
