A Pep Talk on Life and Motivation: Gold Medalist Erin Jackson Will Speak to New Graduates at SLCC 2024 Commencement 

 Winter Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson will motivate new graduates at Salt Lake Community College’s upcoming 2024 Commencement on Friday, May 3, at the Maverick Center. As the commencement speaker, Jackson will share where her own grit, motivation and perspective on failure come from, ultimately resulting in becoming the best female 500-meter speedskater in the world. 

 

Her 2022 Olympic win in speedskating also made her the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport and the first American woman to win an Olympic speed skating gold since 2002.    

 

Jackson grew up in Ocala, Florida competing, and winning, as an inline speed skater when she decided to transition to speedskating on ice at 24 years old. With only four months of experience speedskating, she qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics.  

 

Jackson’s penchant for challenges took her to the South Island of New Zealand last year, where she was a contestant on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, a reality quasi-military training television series that pits contestants against harsh environments. “I found out I was tougher than I thought, and I was surprised that I was willing to attempt all the things that scared me,” says Jackson, who was one of only 3 out of 14 contestants who finished. Her strengths were in the physical tests, where Jackson says she went into training mode and treated it “like another day at work.” 

 

Destined to be A Life-Long Nerd 
Some of the new graduates at commencement might also be Jackson’s classmates. While competing around the world, Jackson has been attending SLCC, where she has earned an associate’s degree in computer science and is working on several other associate’s degrees. She already earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida's College of Engineering, where she graduated cum laude.  

 

“I’m doing it backwards; going to four-year college first than a community college,” says Jackson. She loves learning and was raised to always prioritize education. “I guess I’m destined to be a life-long nerd,” she says. Ultimately, Jackson wants to work in the biomechanics field, possibly perfecting prosthetics for paralympic athletes and others.  

Jackson is one of 14 U.S. speedskaters who attend the College as part of a partnership between SLCC and U.S Speedskating, where athletes can attend college tuition free while also pursuing their athletic dreams.  

 

Commencement will be held at the Maverick Center on Friday, May 3 at 9:30 a.m.

 

Media Contact, Salt Lake Community College: 

Peta Owens-Liston, peta.liston@slcc.edu, 801-957-5099 

 

About Salt Lake Community College                                                                                   

Salt Lake Community College is Utah’s largest two-year college, proudly educating the state’s most diverse student body in eight areas of study at eight locations and online. The majority of SLCC graduates transfer to four-year institutions, and thousands more are trained in direct-to-workforce programs. For more than 75 years, SLCC has been providing Utahns with education and training in fields that contribute to the state’s vibrant economy and high quality of life.   

 

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) – #saltlakecc, @SaltLakeCC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sweeping Nationals, SLCC’s Cross-Country Women’s and Men’s Become Champions, Again

SALT LAKE CITY, November 11, 2024—The  Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) Cross-Country program has risen to become one of the best in the nation, sweeping both the men’s and women’s races this past Saturday (Nov. 9) at the  National Junior College Cross Country Championships in Richmond, Virginia. “ The athletes that returned from last year's teams really helped us maintain our team culture and high standard. Our team motto of NYTJ (Not Your Typical  Junior College ) is really something we live by every day. We try very hard to have a level and standard that is no different than if our athletes were attending and running at a Division 1 level program,”  said coach Isaac Wood, who has led the cross-country program now into its third year.   “ Our mindset keeps us believing every day that we are getting better by putting in the work and trusting the process and coming together as a team ,” added Wood. Since he began leading the SLCC’s cross-country program thre...
Read more

Salt Lake Community College Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement

Image
Salt Lake Community College Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement   SALT LAKE CITY, March 18, 2025— Salt Lake Community College’s 2025 Commencement speaker Branigan Knowlton will share his perspectives drawn from a 12-year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. In serving his country, Knowlton has honed his foreign relations and diplomacy skills in Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia and Italy. Knowlton is also a proud Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumnus (2002).   Knowlton currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Before reporting to the embassy, he was detailed to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship program. In Bogotá, Knowlton worked for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and in Hermosillo, Mexico, he worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. His first assignment abroad was in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Bureau of...
Read more

MEDIA ADVISORY Students Bring MLK’s Beloved Community to Life

The 2025 Beloved Community Photography Project and Concert   Salt Lake Community College is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s  Beloved Community  concept, on how to live in harmony. This concept is brought to life through the eyes of local elementary and middle school students at SLCC’s   Beloved Community Photography Project and exhibit.   The exhibit is the result of SLCC English and Photography faculty visiting local classrooms to help students understand and convey their idea of a Beloved Community in their own lives. SLCC provides the students with cameras and their work is showcased. The schools include: Whittier Elementary (6 th   grade) and Glendale Middle School (7 th   and 8 th grade).   Available for interviews at event: Marian Howe-Taylor, civil-rights background & visits schools. SLCC English and Photography Faculty. Josh Elstein, Director for SLCC’s Center of Arts and Media.  Teachers from Glendale Middle School...
Read more