Atlanta, GA, native Nick Jackson made quite an impression at UVA: both at McIntire and on the football field as a Linebacker.
In addition to being recognized for his prowess on the gridiron with ACC Linebacker of the Week honors in fall 2022 and being named UVA Defensive Team MVP at its annual awards banquet, he took the opportunity to lead in multiple areas. The Marketing and IT concentrator was a UVA Team Captain and a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy, took part in student-athlete mentoring, served on a panel about football leadership, and was a member of Charlottesville social change-minded organization The Groundskeepers.
When we spoke to Jackson in fall 2021, he was looking forward to learning more about marketing, a subject he has always been intrigued by; his father, Doug (A&S ’87), who majored in English at UVA and is Co-Founder of Atlanta-based firm Shared Vision Marketing, inspired his choice to study it. He recently shared that he added a concentration in IT, feeling that developing knowledge in that area would further flesh out his skill set in a world becoming increasingly reliant on and shaped by technology.
Jackson first committed to UVA because of the opportunities he envisioned coming from pursuing a degree at the Commerce School, with its highly rigorous curriculum, a chance to forge connections for robust personal and professional networks, and, no less importantly, the foundation for a life after football.
He’s applied some of his McIntire learning, having served as a Marketing Intern at Shared Vision during the past two years, but he’s not quite ready to enter an office position full time just yet. Though he’s graduating and leaving Grounds, he plans to continue his football career a bit longer at the college level, playing as a graduate transfer student at the University of Iowa.
We asked Jackson to quickly reflect on his McIntire career before he takes his business and athletic skills to his next phase as he transitions from Hoo to Hawkeye.
What Comm School course, professor, or educational experience has made the greatest impact on you and why?
I have really enjoyed Professor Nicole Montgomery’s Digital Analytics class. Understanding different campaigns and how to grow a brand really confirmed my love for the marketing process.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned at the Comm School that has helped you navigate your professional future and that you see yourself relying on most in your career?
I learned that you have to be able to manage time efficiently and effectively. Not everyone in your team is going to have the same schedule, so being able to manage that and optimize it when you get to work is essential.
Favorite McIntire memory?
My best memory is definitely ICE. Going to eat, study, and work with my groups was so fun because we all could connect on the same struggles and successes we had.
What about Final Exercises excites you most?
I am looking forward to seeing my parents smile. They have sacrificed so much for me to be where I am, and I know that they are so excited to see me walk across the Lawn. Seeing their smiles will be something I will never forget.
