Marie and Robert Jackson Fellowship

Our Mission:

To empower students with opportunities to serve the common good through community engagement, collective learning, and leadership and professional development.

The Jackson Fellows Story:

In 2008, the College of St. Benedict received an anonymous gift to establish the Marie and Robert Jackson Fellows Program. Nine students with varying majors, interests, and experience are selected through an application and interview process to be part of a cohort of Jackson Fellows. Each Fellow serves at a community site for the summer. All nine fellowships involve civic engagement and work devoted to improving community life through political or non-political service activities. The diversity of the site placements and the type of work and leadership required from each Jackson Fellow serves to create a rich, vibrant, and holistic learning learning environment.

Fellowship became a year-long program offering students the summer job at their chosen site, and on-going activities during the school year including: all-day group service-learning projects, attending leadership development seminars similar to the ones we attended this summer, attend lectures on public policy and civic engagement, travel to a conference, go on an alternative break experience during spring break, participate in a study tour, organize charitable fundraisers, and help in the application process for the following year’s applicants.

Jackson Fellows - 2009

Chris Beckstrand - Through the Jackson Fellows program, I was able to work for the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra.  The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra was established in 1976, and provides opportunities for area musicians to rehearse and perform for the community, enriches music education opportunities for students and youth, and deepens community appreciation for classical music.  Over the short but busy three months, I learned a great deal about non-profit management and fundraising.  I was able to write grants for the Symphony as well as help plan fundraising events.  I was strengthened in my belief that the arts have a place in all communities, and was able to observe the City of St. Cloud work to integrate the arts in the city's cultural plan.  My favorite activity this summer was designing and implementing a week-long music appreciation program for elementary-school kids at the St. Cloud Public Library.

The Jackson Fellowship also provided on-campus leadership enrichment a few times a month, which strengthened my communication and leadership skills. 

This entire program helped me figure out how I want to live my life after I graduate from CSB|SJU, not only regarding what career I want to have, but also the type of lifestyle I want to lead: a life in service to my community, engaged and enlivened by those around me.

Laura Huiras - I spent my time as a Jackson Fellow at MN 2020, a progressive, non-partisan think tank in St. Paul, MN. My service was focused on keeping up with educational news, identifying problems and recommending tangible solutions to focus on the success of Minnesota’s educational policy. I sought to push the public policy debate forward through blogs and articles that were published on our website. The Jackson Fellowship provided me with a great opportunity to engage with cores staff fellows and expand my knowledge of many policy areas.

Mike Johnson - Michael Johnson is a senior political science major and history minor from Eagan, MN. A graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, MN, Michael has held leadership positions in numerous student organizations at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, including Vice President of the Saint John's Senate and charter President of the Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society.

Michael's interests include the role of the judiciary in public policy-making, constitutional law, and examining the accessibility of the justice system to Americans of varying income levels. In this vein, Michael secured his Jackson Fellowship placement at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS), a legal services corporation which provides free legal services to the poor and destitute in civil matters. Working as an intake screener, Michael served as the gatekeeper at SMRLS by listening to potential clients' stories, determining their eligibility for legal aid services, and either getting their case started, or, if they did not qualify, offered referrals to agencies and organizations who could help. Michael also worked as a file clerk, fill-in receptionist, and court courier. Through these experiences, Michael learned the ins-and-outs of legal aid work, case management, and personal communication skills. His time at SMRLS solidified Michael's desire to become an attorney and has enlivened him with a drive for future public service.

Ashley Ver Burg - Ashley Ver Burg is a senior environmental studies major and French minor from River Falls, Wisconsin.  She is a 2009 Jackson Fellow who, during her time at St. Ben's, has served as the Women’s Issues Representative for the Saint Ben’s Senate, an Event Technician for the CSB Events and Conferences Office, a Student Ambassador, and an Orientation Leader.  She is currently a Community Advisor for CSB Residential Life and the President of the Saint Ben's Senate.  Ashley spent the fall of her junior year studying abroad in France and this past summer as an intern at the environmental non-profit 1000 Friends of Minnesota.  Her interests include outdoor running, land-use policy, feminist literature, coffee shops, and creative writing.

Emily Bina - This summer I spent ten weeks at Minnesota Public Radio News, specifically working for the Midday Show in St. Paul. It was a thought-provoking and challenging experience, through which I developed my writing and editing skills while also practicing the leadership development I learned through the Jackson Fellowship program.

Brian Long – Brian Long is a sophomore Communication/ English double major from Andover, Minnesota. Brian works with the Service-Learning Program on campus and volunteers with the Bonner Program. He spent ten weeks with PrideAlive, a program of the Minnesota AIDS Project working with gay and bisexual men on HIV prevention and education, along with other sexual health topics. His work with PrideAlive included environmental outreach, internet outreach, and program planning.

Catherine Hansen - “Salaam, magaiga Kathra”—this is part of my new vocabulary.  It means “Hello, my name is Kathra” in Somali.  (I adopted a Somali name because Catherine was just a little bit too hard to pronounce).  As part of the Marie and Robert Jackson Civic Engagement Fellowship, I took part in a unique public health and cultural immersion experience through the Center for Cross-Cultural Health, a Minneapolis non-profit organization.  The mission of the Center for Cross-Cultural Health is to “advance health equity by addressing the root causes of poor health and promoting equal opportunities for good health.”

My primary project was a grassroots initiative for Somali women entitled “Jirkaaga,” which means “Your Body” in Somali.  The idea behind the project is to promote overall health by creating a space for women to come together to learn about basic anatomy and body functions.  One of the primary issues in Somali is that there is no common language to describe body parts from the sternum to the groin—everything is called by a single word, “stomach.”  Also, within the Somali culture, body issues are considered “haraam” or inappropriate to discuss openly.  “Jirkaaga” created a space to break down this social isolation and promote education.  It is particularly unique because it is designed and led by Somali women—therefore, it also promotes leadership development.  I served a supporting role in “Jirkaaga,” wrote grants for the project, and gathered input from community members and leaders about the meaning of quality care, and barriers typically experienced within the health care system.

My research gave me a unique perspective on the Somali community.  I was amazed by the strength of their relationships, and inspired by their dedication to their families and community.  Although the extent of the health disparities was shocking, I learned how to inspire real and effective change within communities and gained a greater understanding of medical difficulties.  My work at CCCH was enhanced by meetings and trainings with other Jackson fellows placed in a variety of organizations across the state.  With the support of faculty, alumni, and community leaders, we received trainings in networking, diversity and racism, grant-writing, and media and marketing.  Not only did these skills translate directly to the job site, the discussions that ensued were through-provoking and insightful.  Both with the Jackson Fellows and the women at CCCH, I found it inspiring to be part of such an inspiring group of leaders.

Yesenia Murillo - I was given the opportunity to intern at Anna Marie’s Alliance for the summer of 2009. Ana Marie Alliance’s mission statement is to provide a safe place for victims of domestic abuse and to alter systems and reduce violence. My positions switched from being a Women’s advocate to Criminal Intervention advocate, and to finally taking a position on civic engagement advocacy. Working at the shelter educated me on the culture of Domestic Violence, treatment methods and the resources that are available for battered women. Furthermore, I devoted half of my internship time to helping the Civic Engagement Projects develop; one of them being Anna Marie’s project – “Healthy Relationship Communities/CONNECT”, and the other being my own – “Como Mantener Relaciones Saludables”, which, when translated means: ‘How to maintain Healthy Relationships/ Latinas Supporting Latinas’. CONNECT is currently an on-going civic engagement project founded by Anna Marie’s Alliance that targets five different sectors in the community: faith, education, health care, government, and business, and seeks not only to reduce violence but to also cultivate healthy relationships in these sectors with the purpose of , in the long-run, helping families achieve a violence free environment at home.  I was in charge of networking with the governmental sector; this entailed meeting with the St. Cloud’s Mayor to present the CONNECT project and offer sessions on anger management, communication, security, respect, etc. In addition, the aim of “How to maintain Healthy Relationships” was to reach out to the surrounding Latino communities and provide Latina women with an informational session on Domestic Violence presented in Spanish. These sessions included: ways to protect themselves, community resources such as: food, clothing, temporary housing, etc, and accessible legal protection for Latina immigrants, amongst others. All in all, the projects opened several doors in my life, evidenced by the networks that I developed and the knowledge I gained from sharing I communities.

As a result of being an intern at Anna Marie’s, I also got involved in other community projects such as the on-going “Agreement with the communities of Color” led by Brianda Cediel- Executive Director of Hands Across the World; which seeks to stop discrimination, in all extents, by police officers against minority groups living in the area. The Latino Leaders that represent this project are still preparing for the crucial public meeting in which this agreement will be renewed and positive changes to the Latino and neighboring communities of color will be made.  The Jackson Fellowship came to be a life-changing experience for me. It changed the way I am viewed by those I interacted with and gave me the necessary opportunity to show my talents and leadership skills while strengthening them greatly, not only on campus but in the communities as well. Today, I am seen as a leader for the Latino communities in the surrounding areas; so much so that Anna Marie’s Executive Director, Maxine Barnett, has suggested time and time again that I become a Community Organizer and utilize my God-given ability to work with others.              

Jackson Fellows - Summer 2008

• Lindsey Cermak
• Ashleigh Leitch
• Anna Schumacher
• Heather Cederholm
• Kathryn Holt
• Stacey Endres
• Joseph Kane
• Zachary Shaheen
• Kurt Sorensen
• Alex Kurt