Joe Jackson's 'Supposed to Be'

Joe Jackson spent the summer of 2010 in the Public Policy International Relations (PPIA) junior summer institute (JSI) at Carnegie Mellon. As a foster youth, Jackson would have never imagined himself pursuing an advanced degree in the area of social justice, but by enrolling in the institute, he solidified his desire to apply Carnegie Mellon for graduate study. The PPIA program provided financial and academic support during intensive training sessions in policy, quantitative, communication and leadership areas. The faculty, staff, and students who facilitated the program inspired Jackson to apply to the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program starting in fall of 2011.

"The CMU PPIA is an experience that I will always recognize as being a big contribution to my own movement forward," said Jackson.

Jackson is currently finishing his second major at UC Davis in Public Service. As a member of the Guardian Scholars Program, he recently participated in a video production workshop facilitated by the Center for Digital Story Telling. This video tells the story of how Jackson overcame many challenges to eventually have his own family and become a successful scholar determined to make an impact on the world.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• heinz college
• ppia
• public affairs
• public policy
• carnegie mellon university
• grad school
• higher education