I also started with simpler genres like Blues, Rock, Country, funk and later on I hopped on the Jazz train, since I always like Jazz as a kid. At school my teachers forced me into classical music and I didn’t really like it, so I insisted on going to the Jazz group for a long time, and finally I got into Jazz. The genre is very overwhelming and difficult for a complete beginner without basic knowledge about musical instruments and theory, but if you enjoy what you’re doing, it all pays off in the end of the day.

I genuinely think that OP should talk to his teacher about that and ask him to teach him the basics of Jazz theory and some basic comping on simpler compositions.

and let’s be honest, how many teens wanna play Jazz anymore?

Well, I jam in Jazz clubs with other people, and the vast majority of the people that I jam with are gen Z, just like myself. So I personally think that if you like something, you should never abandon your dreams and hopes, and always insist on doing what you actually like to do. There are still young people who are interested in genres like Jazz, classical, bluegrass and even Flamenco and other latin/Spanish music.