The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Jackson uses alumni status to help recruit for SIUC

Kelly Jackson said attending SIUC, leaving for 13 years and then coming back has been an experience, but she is glad to be back home.

"This University and community are quite diverse, but we have a long way to go, and I think that is why I love the position I am in now," Jackson said.

Jackson, who is now an admissions counselor, began attending SIUC in the fall of 1983.

During her sophomore year, she became the first black woman to be crowned Miss Southern Illinois in the pageant's 50-year history.

"That was significant for me and the community at large," Jackson said. "And the fact that I was an SIU student, I got a great deal as a result of it."

Jackson was working as a news reporter for WCIL-FM when the station owner gave her an opportunity to review the paperwork for entrance into the Miss Southern Illinois pageant. Once she decided to enter, WCIL sponsored her. Aside from representing southern Illinois in the Miss Illinois pageant, she also won a scholarship.

"The role and responsibility required that I go out and make appearances in an official capacity, but primarily, my job was to prepare for the Miss Illinois Pageant," Jackson said.

Her talent was playing the piano, so she performed an original Gershwin piece that she thought would help her in the long run. Unfortunately, she did not make it past the Miss Illinois pageant.

One of the people Jackson acknowledges as being instrumental in helping her compete in the Miss Illinois pageant was Patricia McNeil.

"The Pan-Hellenic pulled together money for me to help me pay for my pageant expenses, travel, dresses," Jackson said. "They gave me a large amount of money and I am so grateful to them because they did not have to do that, but they pulled together their support.

I am grateful they took the time out to see me as someone worthy of their support."

At the time, McNeil, adviser for the Black Affairs Council, proposed Jackson's sponsorship to the group and the greek letter organizations that agreed to help sponsor an event to raise money for Jackson.

"We had a major ball," McNeil said. "It was called the Red, Black and Green Ball and was a showboat of fashion preview for Kelly."

All of the services to produce the ball were donated by local churches, businesses and members of the community.

"It proved to be a major event for Kelly," McNeil said. "I am so pleased that BAC supported her."

Jackson almost did not attend SIUC. She wanted to go to a university in Michigan, but her two grandmothers wanted her to enroll in SIUC for at least a year to get used to college life.

"I am so glad they turned me around because my first year here I earned a tuition-waiver scholarship from the former College of Communications and Fine Arts," Jackson said.

She received a bachelor's in speech communications/public relations officially in 1992, after walking in 1988 and moving to Chicago only a couple of credits short.

While in Chicago, Jackson worked in sales and marketing, and advertising for Leo Burnet Advertising and Media as a media buyer and planner for McDonalds.

She also sold and presented Dale Carnage training programs and later worked for the University of Chicago in special events. Her main job was preparing big time events for donors to the University or alumni.

Jackson returned to Carbondale after she divorced. Her goal was to get a position at SIUC and after only a few months, she was hired to what she calls a "dream job."

Donnell Wilson, the director of the Upward Bound Project attends church with Jackson and said she is a very pleasant woman and easy to talk to.

"She is very articulate and was always very involved with the youth department," Wilson said. "She spoke for the young people and was always doing something for others."

Jackson said she is happy to be back in Carbondale and working for the University.

She said being a recruiter and admissions counselor allows her to recruit all students regardless of race. But being a black woman from this area, she is able to meet with prospective black students, and to represent and encourage them to attend SIUC.

McNeil said it was an honor to have been part of the efforts to help support Jackson and that it was a grand affair that she just loved.

"She was so worthy of the support and she is still worthy for all that is done," McNeil said.

Reporter Samantha Robinson can be reached at srobinson@dailyegyptian.com