From TCC to veterinary school

She came to Tidewater Community College to start on the path to veterinary school.

“I love mammals, especially large animals like giraffes and elephants. Reptiles and cats and dogs are great, too,” said Jackson, who has two dogs, an English bulldog named Bonzo and a Jack Russell terrier, Molly. “My focus is exotic animals, because I love watching what they can do.”

A 2012 honor graduate of the international baccalaureate program at Oscar Smith High School, Jackson came to TCC at the urging of her parents. “Financially it made a lot of sense,” she said.

While at the college, Jackson served as vice president of service for the Chesapeake Campus Phi Theta Kappa chapter. “Joining PTK enabled me to connect with like-minded people interested in giving back,” she said.

She also worked as a supplemental instructor for developmental math and noted, “I enjoyed meeting different people and helping make those light-bulb moments happen.”

A Great Bridge resident, Jackson is an active volunteer with the Chesapeake Humane Society and the Chesapeake Animal Shelter. “The unconditional love of pets never ceases to amaze me,” she said. “I’ve spent plenty of time caring for sheltered animals and raising funds through events like Bark in the Park.”

Jackson will graduate with her associate of science and transfer to the College of William and Mary to study biology in January. “I’m thankful to TCC for opening doors to a school that I didn’t get into right out of high school,” she said. “The college’s Guaranteed Admissions programs work. This time, I was accepted at both William and Mary and University of Virginia.”

Jackson credits Karin Pryor, English professor, and Kevin McCarthy, dean of student services, with making the transfer transition easy. “Ms. Pryor helped with my transfer essay and taught me how to write college-ready research papers, while Mr. McCarthy made sure that I took the right classes and met all of the criteria for transfer.”

Jackson embraces abstract learning and thinking outside the box, noting, “My time at TCC has prepared me well for the next chapter of my life.”