Feature Student: Olivia Jackson-Jordan

I am from Huntersville, North Carolina and am a junior here at UNC. I am double majoring in Political Science and Global Studies with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. I am involved in lots of really awesome groups here on campus. I am a Lead Organizer for a group called Students for Education Reform, an organization that fights for educational justice on the local, state, and national level. I am also involved in the Refugee Community Partnership Bridge Builders Program that pairs UNC students and local families that have come to the area as refugees. I serve as a resource for the family and try to make their transition a little bit easier. I was fortunate enough to have both my roommate and my sister take this class before me. They both encouraged me to apply and were able to tell me about the incredible opportunities that this class provides. I am interested in working in the non-profit sector after I graduate and so I applied in the hopes that I would be able to learn more about the philanthropy process. Although I will probably spend most of my life on the other end of grants, I think that it is really important to know where the money for grants comes from and the process of how boards decide where their money goes. I have really enjoyed learning more about what makes a good grant application. As we have started reading applications, it is really interesting to see which ones stand out and why. This class is a really great way to learn more about the philanthropy process while also having the opportunity to have a positive impact on our state. I am so glad that I have been able to participate!