Harvard Graduate School Awaits Armory College Prep Alumna Diamond Jackson
Armory College Prep (‘17) and Hamilton College (‘21) Alumna Diamond Jackson to Attend Harvard Graduate Program for Education Policy & Analysis Program
Alumni Spotlight: Diamond Jackson
High school: Manhattan Hunter Science High School (‘17)
Undergraduate school: Hamilton College (‘21); Sociology major
Graduate program (beginning Fall 2021): The Master’s in Education (Ed.M.) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE): The Education Policy and Analysis (EPA) Program
Extracurriculars:
Chair & Secretary for the C. Christine Johnson Voices of Color Lecture Series (2018-2021)
Co-President & Secretary for the Black & Latinx Student Union (2018-2019)
General Board Member (2019-2021)
Track & Field Sprinter and Jumper (2017-2020)
Jobs on campus:
Academic Center for Excellence Supervisor (2020-21)
First Year Course Mentor (2020)
Opportunity Programs Office Receptionist (2019)
HEOP Summer RA (2018)
Lab Inspector (2017-2021)
Research (I got grants for them):
Emerson Foundation Grant (2019) - A Fly in the Buttermilk: The Mental Health of Black Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution
“What’s been most important for me is cultivating a supportive environment of people with my best interest at heart.”
Kirkland Associateship (2020) - Black on the Track: Examining the Lived Experiences of Low-Income Black Women Athletes at Elite Institutions
Photo courtesy of www.hamilton.edu
Hobbies: Listening to new music. My taste is pretty varied but mostly R&B, rap, and dancehall. Some alternative and electronic too. I’ve recently started collecting vinyls too.
Something I’ve read, watched, or listened to recently:
I read this NYT article yesterday, and my head exploded at least ten times.
Biggest takeaway from college experience:
My biggest takeaway from my college experience is that imposter syndrome — or more generally, your own mind — can be your biggest enemy. Of course there are outside factors that make students with marginalized identities feel like they don’t belong in certain academic spaces, factors that are at times created intentionally. However, wherever you end up, remember that you are the one who has put in the work to get there. As a recent college graduate who still struggles with this, I have to acknowledge that it is much easier said than done, but you earned your spot just like everyone else. Don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise.
How Armory College Prep helped me prepare for college:
I feel very strongly that I would not be heading to Harvard if not for ACP, because I would not have made it to Hamilton without ACP. As the story goes for many low-income, first generation students in the inner-city, I had very little guidance regarding SAT prep and the college application process prior to joining ACP in my sophomore year of high school. I knew I was going to college, but I did not know anything about the kind of school I would be interested in. The college tours we took during the winter and summer were essential in exposing me to small liberal arts colleges, and the kind of opportunities that they would grant students like myself. Clayton and Mary Rose were so essential in educating me on what to look for in a school, particularly things like the endowment, need-based financial aid, need-met percentages, class sizes, etc. As a sociology major, writing about my own lived experiences was an essential part of my education at Hamilton. Mary Rose dedicated a lot of time to helping me with my personal statement, which helped prepare me for this kind of work that can leave one feeling quite vulnerable and exposed. I was also really interested in running track in college, so each of them were really essential in helping me craft a list of schools where I would likely have been able to do so, and even encouraged me to contact coaches after applying.
Favorite Armory College Prep memory:
‘Til this very day some of my closest friends are the friends I made at ACP. So while it isn’t a particular memory, some of the most fun I had in high school was at The Armory, on my way to The Armory, or on my way home from The Armory.
Advice for current Armory College Prep students:
What’s been most important for me is cultivating a supportive environment of people with my best interest at heart. The college journey probably won’t be easy, but a caring network will make the ride less daunting, particularly at wealthy, predominantly White institutions.
Thank you and congratulations, Diamond!
Read Hamilton College’s article: Diamond Jackson ’21 to Study Education Policy at Harvard