My name is Roxie Drew Jackson, but call me Drew. I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, the hub of the South. My parents and brother always push me to be the best person that I can be, striving for nothing less than my best. They have always been my biggest cheerleaders.

I am a senior, broadcast and digital journalism major at the University of Southern California. Throughout the school year and summers, I've gained journalism and broadcast experience, including a stint with the LA Clippers and a public relations internship, supporting business clients, and writing a blog about my journey to be recruited to play college lacrosse for Inside Lacrosse magazine.

Journalism truly has my heart because I have the possibility to tell stories for a living and help shape people’s opinions. I have always leaned toward my artistic side, playing the acoustic guitar, pop singing, taking bucolic photography and pursuing journalism, which is truly an art form. Coming to USC to study journalism was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. Journalism is such an integral part of society in it’s way of providing information.

It has always been important to me to be well balanced. In addition to my artistic side, sports and leadership have always come easily for me. I started playing lacrosse at age 10, which is extremely rare for a kid that grew up in the South, and even more rare for a person of color, a group that only comprises 2 percent of players nationwide. I was a natural for the sport because it encompassed a lot of the skills I'd developed in soccer and basketball.  So I quickly became hooked on the speed and beauty of the game, which originated with Native Americans.

As a result, I knew I could use my athletic ability to help expand my college opportunities' so that I could make the best choice academically, while continuing to play a sport I love. USC is nothing short of amazing. I play midfield on USC's Division 1 lacrosse team. In only our fifth year of our program there is preseason ranked number 3 in the nation and reached the quarterfinals before losing by one in overtime.

I am extremely excited to learn more in Journalism 309 this semester!

By Drew Jackson