ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Volunteering at Oakdale Elementary School was almost like a homecoming for Winthrop University junior Martin Jackson.
His mother and aunt attended Oakdale. Jackson, a political science and history double major originally from Philadelphia, also attended Oakdale for most of elementary school, so it’s a school he knows very well.
Now, Rock Hill Schools has awarded him its Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work as a literacy intervention tutor with Oakdale students.
Jackson helped teachers as they worked to improve and enhance their students’ reading abilities and encouraged them to continue their education.
“I worked with both an in-class group of students and the second grade afterschool program,” he explained. “I truly, truly loved the kids. I still think about them and the lasting impression that they made on my life.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson was not able to finish the entire semester at Oakdale – but he didn’t let that stop him from helping his students. For his birthday, he held a fundraiser in support of Oakland’s PTO, raising more than $100 in just a few days.
Why he chose Winthrop:
“I chose Winthrop because I still believe I have an obligation to give back to the community that gave so much to me, plus my family still lives around here and we are extremely close knit,” Jackson said. “Being raised by my grandparents and a single mother humbled me, and although I had desires to branch out farther for my undergraduate career, I fell in love with Winthrop. It was at home, but also away from home. The people and my peers here are generally kind and caring, and there is so much for me to do and learn here. Plus the Department of Political Science here is, without a doubt, a perfect fit for me!”
Future goals:
Jackson plans to attend graduate school for a degree in either public administration or political science, followed by law school.
“My goal is to be a certified esquire by the time I reach 28 or so, no more than 30, and then later a district court judge,” he said. “Two of my brothers are also military personnel, so I have an interest in joining the reserves at some point as well.”
For more information, please contact Nicole Chisari, communications coordinator, at 803/323-2236 or e-mail chisarin@winthrop.edu.
