Leadership lived: Student gets management experience thanks to on-campus job

 

Asia Jackson is learning a lot about managing people through her on-campus job at the University of Illinois Springfield. She started working at Stars Lounge, the student center on campus, as a freshman and now serves as manager.

“It has taught me patients. It has taught me understanding,” she said. “I learned being a manager that everybody learns at their own pace.”

The criminal justice major is also involved on campus as traditions coordinator for the Student Activities Committee and president of the Kinky & Curly Natural Hair Empowerment Club. She also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a mentor.

“I’m not one of those people who likes to be bored,” she said. “So I often find things to do and I’m always getting involved in organizations.”

She says managing fellow students and being so involved can sometimes be a challenge, but she’s learning a lot from being a student leader.

“It gets very challenging because I juggle other things as well,” she said. “I’m still a full-time student and on top of that I’m a manager and part of several other organizations, so the challenging part is time management.”

Jackson is glad she chose UIS because of the abundance of opportunities available to her and the ability to network.

“That’s what I absolutely love about this school, there’s so much networking to be done and so many connections to make.”

Following graduation, Jackson plans to attend law school and hopes to one day become a defense attorney.