Jaedon Blocker, a 21-year-old sophomore majoring in early education, has achieved a significant milestone by publishing his first poetry book. Blocker’s passion for writing began through his love for music.
“It started with music—listening to lyrics is what originally got me into poetry,” Blocker explained.
He credits artists like Ryan O’Neal from Sleeping at Last, rapper NF, and Tyler Joseph from Twenty-One Pilots for inspiring him to write. His debut poetry book, titled Maybe Someday, Maybe Someday, is a reflection of his personal struggles and darker times in life.
“A lot of my poetry is like journaling,” Blocker said. “It’s very personal most of the time, but sometimes it’s about things I experience or observe.”
Initially, Blocker wasn’t planning to publish his poems. Writing was a private outlet for him, but eventually, he saw value in sharing his work with a broader audience.
“All the poems in that book were written for myself before I even thought about publishing them,” he said. “Seeing the personal and vulnerable songs from the artists I admire inspired me to do the same.”
Blocker’s journey toward publishing was made easier by his uncle, Carlos Velez, who works for Draft2Digital, a company that facilitates self-publishing. With help from Velez and Top City Records, Blocker’s book officially came to life.
Velez, who has published poetry himself, played a key role in encouraging Blocker to take the leap.
“After I published my own book, I told him, ‘When’s yours coming?’” Velez recalled.
Blocker actually wrote his first book while still in high school, with no intention of turning it into a published work.
“It’s a scary feeling, but also amazing,” Blocker admitted.
His poetry series doesn’t stop at one book. He has completed the second book, which he plans to publish next year, and is working on a third. Each book marks a different stage of his personal journey.
“The first book is about a dark time in my life. The second one is me working through those struggles, trying to get to a better place,” Blocker explained. “The third book is about helping others deal with whatever they’re going through.”
Velez expressed his pride in his nephew’s accomplishments, noting how important writing has been in Blocker’s life.
“I think his work is for everyone,” Velez said. “Poetry is one of the most vulnerable forms of writing, and it has a lot of power to heal. You can see how much it’s helped him in his first two books.”
Velez has witnessed Blocker’s personal growth through his writing.
“There’s a noticeable change in his more recent poetry,” Velez said. “He’s grown, healed, and now he’s starting to look outward toward the world and the people around him.”
While poetry has been his main focus, Blocker hopes to branch out into other types of writing in the future.
“I want to try writing short stories, and maybe even full-length books someday,” he said.
Outside of writing, Blocker enjoys running, art, soccer, and working at a preschool, where he teaches young children.
“One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is seeing the kids’ different personalities come out,” he said.
Through his work at the preschool, Blocker became friends with fellow early education major Caroline Chiddix.
“Jaedon is shy but has the biggest heart,” Chiddix said. “He’s very dedicated and cares deeply about the people around him, even though he doesn’t always express it verbally.”
Chiddix is both happy and emotional when she reads Blocker’s poetry, noting how much it reveals about him.
“It’s amazing to see how happy he is through writing. He’s not someone who talks much about his feelings, but through his poems, you can really see who he is and what he cares about,” she said.
With two more books in the pipeline, Blocker’s journey as a poet is just beginning. His work offers an intimate glimpse into his world, and his poetry series promises to continue evolving as he does.