Public relations senior Jade Jackson strives to pursue her passion of broadcasting and news with a variety of experiences and a unique beat in her bag.
Originally from Indianapolis, IN, Jackson moved to Texas after her mom decided she wanted to come back home. Her great-grandfather founded Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas and left land for her mother after he passed. Jackson attended Jarvis as a legacy, but she transferred to UNT since Jarvis did not offer a journalism program.
“I fell in love with Mayborn, and so I decided to transfer so that I could be better at what I wanted to do,” Jackson said.
Her interest in journalism began when she was nine and did the school broadcast announcements. She later watched a documentary in middle school entitled Black in America hosted by Soledad O’Brien, and she felt inspired by the portrayal of the black community.
“I loved the way she hosted the show and how it showed black stories,” Jackson said. “I thought, ‘I want to do what she’s doing someday.’”
Jackson joined Her Campus to write about similar stories and embrace the creative freedom the organization seemed to provide.
“[Her Campus] seemed like a place where I could write different things,” Jackson said. “I could create something that other news school outlets couldn’t.”
She decided to make “black UNT” her beat and gets inspired by all that she sees this community doing on Twitter, pursuing in organizations, or just talking about in their conversations.
“These are the future leaders, and they’re excelling at what they’re doing,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to see what they’ll be doing after they graduate and to be able to say I told their story first.”
Jackson is also a reporter for North Texas Television, an anchor for DTV, and a contributor for The Dentonite. On how she manages to balance school and her work with these organizations, she describes her skills with time management and dedication.
“Most people get wiped out before they can start,” Jackson said. “They just give up and say ‘Oh, I’ll do it next semester.’ I just do it. It has to be done, so I do it.”
She one day hopes to return to Jarvis Christian College to carry on her great-grandfather’s legacy and start a journalism program and a chapter of National Associations of Black Journalists and bring back the school newspaper. For now, she just plans on finding a job and furthering her career in journalism.
“Right now, I’m only as good as a college reporter, I want to be as good as a reporter, period,” Jackson said. “Whatever station I land, I just want to hit the ground running.”