RAD
2020
GRADS
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his month, students across the globe graduated from their colleges or universities. These graduates have spent countless hours studying, giving presentations and otherwise working hard to earn their degrees so that they may be better equipped to enter their chosen fields. We at the Jackson Free Press know that many graduates dream of stepping across the stage to receive their diplomas, but because not everyone ended up fortunate enough to do so this year, the JFP wanted to provide a means of honoring graduates who either completed their studies at a Jackson-based institution or who call the Jackson metro their home but chose to further their educations elsewhere. Thus, the JFP has devised this inaugural feature. We introduce to you, your Rad Grads 2020! Congrats, grads.
May 27 - June 9, 2020 • jfp.ms
Madison Jackson
Since childhood, Brandon native Margaree Jackson has held an interest in foreign languages and cultures. These interests culminated in her bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and political science at the University of Mississippi, where she recently graduated. “I decided to major in Spanish to further my knowledge of the Spanish language and also to enable me to better connect with the Spanish-speaking and Latino community, not only in Mississippi but also in the United States and abroad,” she says. Jackson chose Latin American politics as her academic focus. On campus, Jackson served as a conversation partner and group connect leader for the International and American Student Alliance, as president of the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association and as an interpreter for the Mississippi Immigrant Rights Coalition.
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UM awarded Jackson with a full scholarship and stipend toward earning her master’s degree in modern languages with a specialization in Spanish. She is considering more education to become a bilingual or English-as-a-secondlanguage instructor. Eventually, the 22year-old aspires to start a nonprofit organization that focuses on education equity and culturebased learning. “I think it’s important because I have noticed a lot of inequities in the educational system, specifically for the black and brown students,” she says. “There’s a lack of teaching that is representative of different cultures, so I believe it is important to push for education that teaches students about their cultures and where they come from.” For fun, Jackson enjoys reading, traveling and watching Spanish television programs, such as “Undercover Law.” —Nate Schumann
Sree Maha Lakshmi Vedala Sree Maha Lakshmi Vedala says she owes Millsaps College for changing her life. The priest’s kid from Brandon graduated from the private Jackson institution with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. During her senior year, Vedala earned the Frank and Rachel Anne Laney Award, which goes to the graduating senior who has written the finest essay about the value of receiving a liberal-arts education. In her essay, Vedala wrote about her experience at Millsaps and expressed gratitude to the professors who made her feel at home and pushed her academically. Vedala’s professors encouraged her to pursue an honors project. The project focused on social-justice issues like colorism, gender inequality, and racial discrimination in India and how Hindu religious symbols could be more inclusive. “They would encourage me to courtesy Sree Maha Lakshmi Vedala
Margaree Jackson
enter essay contests and writing competitions, and doing so helped me gain more confidence,” she says of her profs. “… They helped me pursue my honors project. My honors project actually ended up getting the Phi Beta Kappa Award for best thesis presentation. That would have never happened if it wasn’t for my professors encouraging me along the way.” Like many college students, Vedala says she feels incomplete because she had to finish her coursework online due to the pandemic. “I was really looking forward to my last days on campus,” she says. “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to return. I still have library books to return, so hopefully I’ll be able to go back to campus one day.” Until then, Vedala is surveying her options for the future. Medical school is one possibility she is considering. —Alyssa Bass
