Kierra Jackson

Program Manager, College Bound

Kierra Jackson joined our FCE family in May of 2024. A native East Palo Altan, Kierra has always wanted to give back to the small community that gave her everything. While earning her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Critical Race at the University of California, Merced, she supplemented her studies with leadership and community engagement. Kierra was President of ‘Afrikans for Retention and Outreach’ and A.F.R.O. Hall, a club and living-learning community on campus her sophomore year, eventually transitioning to a film internship under the Global Arts Program.

Kierra has an extensive background in outreach, retention, and public speaking. During high school, she competed in numerous policy debate tournaments under the tutelage of Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, perfecting her public speaking abilities and giving her an outlet to write creative solutions for difficult problems. Education is a pillar in Kierra’s life, as it gives her access to worlds and spaces she could only ever dream about. The importance of college and higher education has been instilled in her since she was a child, growing up in Aspire charter schools and benefitting from their “college for certain” mindset. She saw how education “pays off” when she was her school’s sole recipient of a full-tuition scholarship from the Making Waves Foundation.

Kierra aims to bring a fresh perspective to what college has to offer while fostering a strong and supportive community as 9th and 10th Grade Program Manager.