A Pep Talk on Life and Motivation: Gold Medalist Erin Jackson Will Speak to New Graduates at SLCC 2024 Commencement

Winter Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson will motivate new graduates at Salt Lake Community College’s upcoming 2024 Commencement on Friday, May 3, at the Maverick Center. As the commencement speaker, Jackson will share where her own grit, motivation and perspective on failure come from, ultimately resulting in becoming the best female 500-meter speedskater in the world.

Her 2022 Olympic win in speedskating also made her the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport and the first American woman to win an Olympic speed skating gold since 2002.  

Jackson grew up in Ocala, Florida competing, and winning, as an inline speed skater when she decided to transition to speedskating on ice at 24 years old. With only four months of experience speedskating, she qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Jackson’s penchant for challenges took her to the South Island of New Zealand last year, where she was a contestant on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, a reality quasi-military training television series that pits contestants against harsh environments. “I found out I was tougher than I thought, and I was surprised that I was willing to attempt all the things that scared me,” says Jackson, who was one of only 3 out of 14 contestants who finished. Her strengths were in the physical tests, where Jackson says she went into training mode and treated it “like another day at work.”

Destined to be A Life-Long Nerd
Some of the new graduates at commencement might also be Jackson’s classmates. While competing around the world, Jackson has been attending SLCC, where she has earned an associate’s degree in computer science and is working on several other associate’s degrees. She already earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida's College of Engineering, where she graduated cum laude.

“I’m doing it backwards; going to a four-year college first than a community college,” says Jackson. She loves learning and was raised to always prioritize education. “I guess I’m destined to be a life-long nerd,” she says. Ultimately, Jackson wants to work in the biomechanics field, possibly perfecting prosthetics for paralympic athletes and others.

Jackson is one of 14 U.S. speedskaters who attend the College as part of a partnership between SLCC and U.S Speedskating, where athletes can attend college tuition free while also pursuing their athletic dreams.

Commencement will be held at the Maverick Center on Friday, May 3 at 9:30 a.m.

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