Shaker Heights High School senior Morgan Jackson has a quiet confidence that’s empowered her to follow what she believes is the right path for her after she graduates. 

Next year, she’s taking a self-described, “meaningful gap year”---she plans to spend the year as a City Year AmeriCorps member working in Cleveland Public Schools. She’ll also be taking some classes at Cleveland State University, where she plans to start working toward a degree in Social Work.

Morgan's take on her experience at Shaker Heights Schools is different than most because she left the District in seventh grade and attended school in both North Carolina and in Philadelphia. "My experiences in both states really burst my Shaker bubble. The schools that I attended didn’t have a lot of resources," she remembers. "It’s a lot to take in when you realize not everyone always receives the same quality of education and that gaps in funding and education exist. It made me more grateful for all the opportunities Shaker has to offer."

Read more about Morgan Jackson and her plans for life after she leaves Shaker Heights High School.

 

You were accepted to colleges and had some good financial aid packages—what made you decide to do City Year instead? 
At the end of the day, I wasn’t sure that even with the financial aid, I wanted to be $40,000 in debt after four years of college. A lot of people talk about how hard it is to pay back student loans and I just wanted to be reasonable about my future. Affordability of college is something that is important to me. 

I decided to apply for City Year after I went to the information session. There were a lot of people there who said that they wanted to go into Social Work after participating, which was helpful because that’s what I’m considering. The whole point of City Year is to help try and close the achievement gap, help children grow as students and as people and to help more students graduate. I want to be a part of something that helps children value their education from an early age and to better understand, as elementary students, that their education is what helps to set them up for the rest of their lives. 

Also, with City Year, I’m eligible to earn $6,000 at the end of my year to pay towards undergraduate or graduate education federal loans. Plus, everyone at City Year gets health insurance for the year and a bi-weekly stipend of approximately $630. For me, that seemed like a good option. That way I can figure out whether Social Work is what I want to do. 

What is it about Social Work that appeals to you?
My mom majored in Social Work and her career  was very  meaningful to her. She’s proud that this is something I’m considering as a career. And being in City Year for the year and working with children will help me determine whether I would want to work with children in child services or whether I’d prefer to work with adults in something like drug counseling or rehabilitation services. 

For the past few months, you’ve been working at one of the busiest new restaurants in Shaker—Brassica. What’s that been like?
Working at Brassica has been a real learning experience. Everyone there is friendly and great to work with. Sometimes it gets a little stressful when the line is wrapped around outside the door. The great thing is that we’re all eventually trained to work all aspects of the restaurant. I’ve been trained to work the assembly line, host, greeter, hearth and the dining room stations. Before I’d started working here, I hadn’t eaten much Mediterranean food, but after I was introduced to it, I was like, “This is really good!”

You attended Mercer Elementary, Woodbury and the Middle School, left the District for a few years and then returned when you were a sophomore. What were your experiences like beyond Shaker? 
I spent a few years in North Carolina and in Philadelphia. My experiences in both states really burst my Shaker bubble. The schools that I attended didn’t have a lot of resources, which forced me to realized that not all schools were like Shaker, therefore bursting the bubble. It’s a lot to take in when you realize not everyone always receives the same quality of education and that gaps in funding and education exist. It made me more grateful for all the opportunities Shaker has to offer. 

What’s one of your memorable experiences from Mercer? 
I remember having a great time on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame field trip in second grade and I remember being excited when we started a compost pile in Garden Club. And in third grade, we got to take home chickens that the Kindergarten students hatched and I got to take two home over a long weekend. I let them run around our living room on newspaper—it was a lot of fun. 

What about at the High School?
My most memorable teacher is Mrs. Amy Wadsworth—she taught me African American History last year. Typically, with lecture teachers, it can be boring if they’re not passionate. But she’s a very passionate teacher who loves teaching and it really shows through her lessons—she was always very engaging and informative. 

What the best version of yourself in 10 years look like?
I think the best version of myself will have earned my masters degree in some field and I’ll have a good start in my career. And hope I’ll have moved out on my own. If I’m being realistic.