SEE MORE See more about the Mesonet’s 25 years: okla.st/meso. Mark your calendars for Give Orange next year on April 7-8! Follow the OSU Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates, or find out more at giveorange. okstate.edu. LEARN MORE about entrepreneurship okla.st/entre Jackson is a pre-law student majoring in political science and music (cello) with the goal of becoming a constitutional lawyer. Her interest in politics and law began early, thanks to her mom. “Ever since I was young, she has explained current events and taken me to vote with her,” Jackson said. “I have a whole scrapbook full of ‘I Voted’ stickers that I got with my mom. I was probably the only fifth-grader who could tell you the current polling data.” In 2018, Jackson was able to participate directly in the political process by meeting with legislators and attending legislative sessions at the Oklahoma Capitol during the teacher walk-out. “From there, my interest in politics snowballed into a passion,” Jackson said. She volunteered on a gubernatorial campaign, participated in student council and still carries a copy of the Constitution for impromptu debates. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been sitting in class and someone’s tried to argue with me, saying I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Jackson said. “Then I would whip out my pocket Constitution and say, ‘Yes I do. And here’s the exact clause you’re trying to reference.’ “The sad truth is that when you’re small and a girl and you’re talking about politics, a lot of people don’t take you seriously,” continued Jackson, who is 4-foot-8. “People try to underestimate me all the time, but I like to think I make up for it with my voice and my passion. I have to know my stuff more than other people do, but I think it makes me better.” Jackson carries that drive for improvement into her freshman year at OSU along with one final thought: “I’m just really proud to call myself a Cowboy — officially.” MEG JACKSON Third-generation OSU student Meg Jackson was a Cowboy fan from day 1. The Edmond North High School graduate said her parents brought her home from the hospital in an OSU cheerleader outfit and have taken her to OSU football games since she was 6 months old. So when it came time to apply to college, Oklahoma State was obviously on the list — but so were 11 other schools. “I wanted to make sure I saw all my options before I committed,” Jackson said. It didn’t take long for her to choose OSU, though. In mid-March, Jackson was selected as an Oklahoma State Scholar Society fellow. “Most of the acceptance letters from other schools didn’t come out until the end of April, but I didn’t even check them all after I got the scholarship at OSU,” Jackson said. “I was done. I was committed to OSU.” OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 33
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