{"id":117655,"date":"2023-10-23T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=117655"},"modified":"2023-10-23T11:47:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:47:50","slug":"katrina-jackson-m-a-improving-systems-for-a-better-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/uncategorized\/katrina-jackson-m-a-improving-systems-for-a-better-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Katrina Jackson, M.A.: Improving systems for a better future"},"content":{"rendered":"

The story of Katrina Jackson, M.A., one of The Chicago School\u2019s 2023 Distinguished Alumni honorees, has truly come full circle.<\/p>\n

Jackson, who graduated with a M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology<\/a> from The Chicago School in 2008, recently stepped into the role of vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> and talent management at Adtalem Global Education<\/a>. It is the result of years of hard work, instilled values, commitment to service, and a passion to help others.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a nod to the lived experience of Jackson\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven from my upbringing, I understood the concept of belonging in spaces where I was often the only one. This stage in my career is a full circle moment for me,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cI didn’t realize the impact that I could make in the organization. When I decided to depart from my previous position, there were so many colleagues, leaders and peers who expressed their gratitude for the work, the impact to their lives, and the change I made within the organization.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson grew up in Lansing, Michigan, where her mother instilled in her a commitment to community first, having her volunteer at soup kitchens, toy drives, and trash pick-ups. Jackson carried that level of service with her into adulthood.<\/p>\n

When the time came to apply to colleges, she had to decide what type of experience she wanted to have.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt an early age, I was typically the only Black girl in a classroom,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cI struggled with my identity and assimilation to the predominately white culture that I was exposed to. This is where I began to understand the importance of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

While in high school, Jackson went on a tour of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). When she toured Spelman College, a liberal arts college for women, she felt seen and heard even as a prospective student. She chose to attend Spelman, and it exposed her to a new level of identity, belonging, and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost HBCUs are a safe space for a Black person to have a strong foundation in terms of who they are and build the confidence around being proud of Black culture, excellence and community,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cNow I\u2019m able to walk into rooms and say, \u2018Yes, while I’m the only one, I’m still here, and I deserve to be here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson initially majored in psychology, but after taking a couple of courses in clinical settings, she wanted to explore something that would allow her to impact people on a larger scale than she could by working with them individually.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a mentor at the time who asked me if I ever heard of industrial-organizational psychology,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cIt was exactly what I was envisioning: being able to help people within organizations but also being able to look at the macro and micro levels of an economy and how it impacts some of the social frameworks that we have within our society from a team development perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson wanted to pursue an advanced degree after completing her undergraduate work. With her newfound path to I\/O psychology, she knew what next steps to take. Enter The Chicago School.<\/p>\n

Jackson explains, \u201cWhat pushed me to go to grad school at The Chicago School, besides the rankings and the curriculum, was being able to have not only the kind of the classroom experience but the practitioner experience as well. We\u2019ve been in school from childhood up into our early 20s. It\u2019s very rare that we have the opportunity to apply the knowledge in real time. I was able to do that at The Chicago School, and that was a big differentiator for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Chicago as her new home base, Jackson started her career in earnest. She began in organizational development, moving to talent management, cultural integration, leadership development and mergers and acquisitions. While she has worked across various industries such as investment banking and financial brokerage, to railroad and manufacturing and most recently within the engineering and safety science industry with UL Solutions. At UL Solutions, Jackson beganas the global leader of talent management, and ascended to a newly established role of global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). DEI in a corporate work environment usually involves creating and upholding a set of policies and procedures that allow for each person to be represented and heard, creating a safe and inclusive space for employees.<\/p>\n

Her education in I\/O psychology and previous work in talent management, combined with her personal interest in DEI, set her up success in her new role at Adtalem. Jackson will be working to create an equitable and diverse workforce, while implementing policies and procedures to promote an inclusive environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up being the only Black woman in the room and later transferred to a high school that was more diverse. Then from there, I went to an HBCU which is 99.9% Black and a graduate school that is very diverse. Every instance of my life has prepared me even for the point that I’m in today in terms of being in diversity, equity and inclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having brought all her passions together, Jackson still is working to make a difference beyond her current environment. This time, it\u2019s far-reaching. She wants to change policies and inequitable systems that will impact the next generation and have them take DEI even further.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s world where there\u2019s a direct attack on DEI, it not only a moral and business imperative but a true call to action for all of us,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cWe know we have to think about everything that we do from a lens of inclusion and belonging. All in all, what world will my sons be walking into? That\u2019s what drives me today.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The story of Katrina Jackson, M.A., one of The Chicago School\u2019s 2023 Distinguished Alumni honorees, has truly come full circle. Jackson, who graduated with a M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School in 2008, recently stepped into the role of vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion and talent management at Adtalem Global Education. It is the result of years of hard work, instilled values, commitment to service, and a passion to help others. It\u2019s also a nod to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":117686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1036],"class_list":["post-117655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-magazine","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKatrina Jackson, M.A.: Improving systems for a better future - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Katrina Jackson shares how I\/O psychology and DEI shaped her career, and why inclusive spaces matter.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/uncategorized\/katrina-jackson-m-a-improving-systems-for-a-better-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Katrina Jackson, M.A.: Improving systems for a better future - 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