Fifteen-year-old Feather River student Jack  began his collection of flags in 2018, unaware that this simple hobby would one day bring his community together.

It started small, with miniature U.S. state flags that sparked his curiosity about the designs, symbols, and stories behind them. Jack still remembers the first full-sized flag he owned: the flag of Palestine, chosen because his ancestors were from Jordan. The next was Zimbabwe, which caught his attention with its bold colors.

From there, his collection grew rapidly. What began as a personal interest soon became a passion for geography and global culture.

“I like geography in general, and I think this really helped me understand it better,” Jack said. “I know the world map pretty well and many different states and territories.”

By 2020, Jack had gathered dozens of 3x5-sized flags when he came across a video showcasing a large public flag display. Inspired, he decided he wanted to do something similar, only in his own community.

In 2022, Jack officially brought that vision to life by hosting “Flags of the World Day” at his local park in Colonial Heights. Every year on the last Sunday of June, Jack and his family set up flags from around the world for neighbors and visitors to enjoy.

“There are actually quite a lot of visitors,” Jack recalled. “One year, two men from Afghanistan came up to us; they were so excited to see their flag represented and even helped us finish setting up.”

Setting up more than 140 flags can be time-consuming, but Jack doesn’t mind. “It’s only countries right now, plus the state and Sacramento flags,” he explained. “I’d like to include territories too, but some are still being disputed.”

When asked where his fascination came from, Jack thought back to a family trip in 2019.

“There was a flag celebration in Utah, and they had all kinds. I liked how they all looked together, blowing in the wind,” he said.

What makes Jack’s story even more special is that his passion eventually led him to design a flag of his own – the official flag for Colonial Heights.

Inspired by a historic local sign, Jack incorporated a cable car that once operated along the main roads, palm trees, and design elements from the California state flag. He added a white stripe at the base and a single white star in the top left corner to represent unity.

Encouraged by his family, Jack reached out to city officials to make it official – and succeeded. Today, his flag proudly flies beneath the California flag at the same park where his “Flags of the World Day” display takes place.

While Jack isn’t sure if vexillology (the study of flags) will become his career, he’s happy sharing his love for flags and geography with others.

“I just want to share my interest in flags with others,” he said.

Through his creativity and dedication, Jack  shows that even one student’s passion can bring a whole community together, one flag at a time.

Want to hear more from Jack? Check out his feature on ABC10 News!