Prescott, Arizona – Yavapai College student leader Jackson James intends to visit Washington D.C. in June for the second time in three months. If his plans work out, this time he’s going to stay a while.
Jackson, vice president of the YC Student Government Association, is eyeing a summer internship in the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. The offered internship is a boon for the young man who has studied performing arts, computer science and business at YC, before deciding in recent months to pursue a career in public service.
The change in career plans followed Jackson’s foray into state and national politics as a volunteer on the ground during the 2024 primary and general elections. He watched Sen. Kelly and his wife, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, speak at a rally, and was impressed by the veteran and former astronaut’s authenticity and his deference to his wife, a survivor of a deadly mass shooting.
“He just had such a presence,” Jackson said of Sen. Kelly. “I remember thinking this is someone who cares about Arizonans.”
Jackson carried his admiration for the senator with him to the Association of Community College Trustees Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., for four days in February. During a large-group meeting with Kelly, Jackson and YCSGA President Susanna Marcinek expressed what YC students wanted and needed from their representatives in Congress, including expanded access to Pell grants for workforce programs. “We were the loudest voices in the room for students,” he said.
Later, in a meeting with Kelly staff member Katherine Phillips, Jackson, Susanna and other students obliged her request to share their personal stories. Buoyed by Susanna’s story of teen-aged loss, missteps and transformation, Jackson opened up about his own traumatic childhood and how he abruptly reversed a downward spiral and moved from California to Prescott with his grandmother his senior year in high school.
As the meeting with Phillips was winding down, Jackson thought to mention that he was planning to apply for an internship with her boss and asked if she had any advice. “She told me that I definitely should apply and to reach out with any questions, ” he recalled of her response.
Back in Prescott, Jackson followed through with the application and supplemented it with recommendations from advocates like Rodney Jenkins, YC Vice President of Student Development and Community Relations.
“I don’t think I would have gotten the position if it hadn’t been for their support. They truly believed in me. They trusted me to represent them and to represent YC,” he said of his network of supporters.
Jackson said attending YC has “given me time and academic space to get used to college… to get used to not being an ---hole. It’s been a wonderful time. It’s been an adventure I’ve used to discover more about myself.”
Along with his college adventure, Jackson said his turn toward public service is inspired by people who strive every day to make a difference in the lives of others, by actions he has taken on behalf of causes he believes in and by belief in himself.
“Even when I was a dysfunctional youth struggling to get through middle school, I always knew I was someone with momentum. And now I better understand my abilities, the struggles of my community and what people really want and need from their leaders.”
While he’s thrilled to have won an internship with Sen. Kelly, Jackson is anxious about the financial burden the opportunity presents. He estimates he will need $8,000 to $10,000 for travel, housing and food – an amount the $15 hourly internship wage won’t cover.
So, while juggling school, his student job with the computer science department, student government and other responsibilities, Jackson is pursuing fund-raising tactics like appeals to local civic organizations and the online platform GoFundMe. He also hopes to win one or more cash awards at a forthcoming national Future Business Leaders of America competition.
Jackson is optimistic that he’ll raise the needed funds to be among Sen. Kelly’s summer interns. “I’m focused on getting there,” he said.
He’s equally optimistic that one day he’ll be elected to public office. “I’ll work hard to be the leader I have faith I can be. And for everyone who saw me, took a chance on me and put their faith in me, I won’t let them down.”
For those interested in helping Jackson get to Washington D.C., here’s a link to his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/98cbff9e
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, three baccalaureate degrees (with one more pending accreditation approval), student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.