In the Community
Shaped by MArquette
When Darren Jackson, Bus Ad ’87, was invited to talk to students about vocation, his first thought was, “I didn’t go into the priesthood; I became a CFO.” Then Jackson magnified his definition of vocation and realized he did have something important to say. He delivered that message as one of the speakers featured at the Manresa Project’s Alumni in Action program, which invited alumni to trace how they were shaped by their Marquette experiences.
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The Manresa Project helps students explore what it means to serve God, and the ways they are called to lead faithful loves — in their careers and in every stage of life.
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A packed house greeted the youthful-looking chief financial officer of Best Buy Co. Inc. Jackson joked it must have been the result of a rumor that Best Buy would be giving out Playstations. Then he got busy.
“I actually believe that as human beings we are perpetually in pursuit of purpose,” he said. While success is easy to catch, he added, purpose can be illusive.
“I came to Marquette with a 19 on my ACT,” Jackson said. “What did Marquette see in a kid who had a B-minus average? I think that what they saw was a kid who had ambition and a set of values, and they gave me an opportunity. A lot of times in life it’s not about planning, it’s about taking advantage of opportunities.”
Today, Jackson seeks opportunities to give kids what Marquette gave him. He couldn’t suppress his excitement with one project in particular.
He is a member of a national board working to open Cristo Rey schools in some of the toughest, poorest cities in the country. The school model was developed by Jesuits to transform urban America one student at a time. Students attend classes for four days and work on the fifth day, with their salaries helping pay for the schools. Dropout rates among students in Cristo Rey schools are dramatically lower than among students in public high schools.
“There are 12 Cristo Rey schools today, and we’re on track to have 40,” Jackson said, with a degree of pride his audience could not mistake. “Cristo Rey schools serve exclusively the poor, and they’re making a difference. … What I see in this, and I’m thinking about vocations in life again, is that a long time ago somebody gave a kid with an ACT of 19 an opportunity. A lot of times in our lives, if we look back and see when somebody gave us opportunities, if we can give back in a different way, we’ll get a little closer to finding that purpose.”
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