Naresha Jackson – Young, gifted and black

IN her hometown of St Ann’s Bay, Naresha Jackson, 23, was dubbed the ‘proudest native’ by her neighbour because of how confident she was to be a black person and a Jamaican.

“I would talk a lot about black history and how proud I am of my colour, and despite the odds I was motivated as a black person to shine,” she told All Woman.

“Marcus Garvey’s birthplace is right beside my home, and I often wondered what he did in his days. I believed we were the best and I would strive to be an outstanding person.”

And so, she became highly involved in church activities, which helped to shape her leadership skills.

“I was always involved in Christmas programmes, recitals, and testimonies. I did my best to shine there — church was the biggest thing for me in St Ann.”

Subsequently, she went on to Westwood High School where her leadership skills were further developed, as she would tutor students in mathematics — one of her passions. As a result she said she became motivated to shine and focused on helping people and being someone they could model.

So when Jackson enrolled at Mico University College it came as no surprise that she chose to become a teacher or pursue a double major in the subject she had developed a love for.

Moreover, her previously developed knack for management came to the fore as she assumed the position of president of the Math Society. But ironically, when the idea of running for guild president was presented to her, she backed away because of the strong patriarchal tradition associated with Mico.

“My friends said there was not a male in the year group to be president of the guild, but I never entertained the thought,” Jackson said. “Even though Mico has a female to male ratio of roughly seven to three, traditionally there is a male president. When people brought it to me I opposed the idea. I didn’t want to challenge tradition, plus the ladies support the gentlemen, so how dare you step out of tradition?”

Instead, Jackson sent in an application for senior lady — the first vice-president of the guild, even though the perceived glass ceiling had already been shattered by a woman eight years before.

“I heard about the first female president and how she had it hard and I backed down from the idea and went up for senior lady,” she said.

But after tapping into her Christian faith at a leadership retreat, she decided to enter and went against the norm when she won the elections and assumed the role of the second female guild president at Mico.

“I remember when I came back to Kingston the positions were reopened and that has never happened. I withdrew my application for senior lady and entered the race for president. To my surprise, the males supported me and even when I became a bit overwhelmed, the student support kept me going,” she said.

Being an advocate for change, Jackson said people were worried her appointment would bring a radical feminist swing to the institution.

“One male asked if Mico is going to become pink now, but I’m about positive change,” she laughed.

As a result, she has already implemented a slew of activities which include effective communication in the form of an open office day where eight core members of the guild sit and hear the concerns of students and welcome suggestions. There is also Flex Zone Thursdays, which caters to all groups on campus; physical projects; and the implementation of a Dean’s Honour Roll, which is primarily the current senior lady’s responsibility.

Actively involved in volunteerism, Jackson has also organised a committee to chair activities for Youth Month.

“Not many young people want to become a part of volunteerism, but it doesn’t just help you professionally, it helps you as a person. Youth are significant to me, because young people are the future, but more so the present. People don’t understand how important your input is as a young person. As a teacher in a classroom of 40 young bright minds, you have to know how be able to mould them. It’s so much more than a pay cheque. And we need to start seeing it as what we’re doing for national development, because if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re part of the problem,” she said.

Outside of school, Jackson is actively involved in the Mico Youth Organisation for Teachers, an arm of Generation 2000 where she sits on the gender affairs and outreach committees.

Also a past first runner-up in the Festival Queen competition for the parish of St Ann, and winner of the Miss St Ann and Miss North East St Ann pageants, she also enjoys spending time with friends and family, karaoke, netball and going to the gym.

She lives by the Cullen Hightower quote which states that the true worth of a person is all the benefits others have gained through his success.

“Whatever I do in life, people benefit; and if your success hasn’t been shared, no one has benefited from things you have done, so you aren’t truly successful,” she said.

She said she’s all for change and being active in nation-building as in order to raise the bar we have to be proactive and move society to where we want to see it.

“Once you have the will there’s a way. Become proactive and a part of nation-building,” she urged.