Bishop Dunne Senior Danielle Jackson Receives a 2015 Excellence in Education Scholarship
Bishop Dunne Senior Danielle Jackson has been awarded an Excellence in Education Scholarship from the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. The 18th Annual Luncheon was held on Friday, April 10, 2015, at the Frontiers of Flight Museum located near Dallas Love Field. Master of Ceremonies for the event was popular K104 host DeDe McGuire. Wilton Munnings, President and COO of the Dallas Black Chamber, welcomed the 35 scholarship recipients in the audience.
With a 3.9 grade point average, Danielle was the first in her senior class to get accepted to college last August, the week before the first home football game. “Iowa State University has a priority list of students they want to attend, and I got in early,” Danielle explains, adding, “my parents were pretty happy.” She also applied to the University of Houston and the University of Texas at Arlington. She visited the Houston campus last year on the Houston college tour trip with her friends from Bishop Dunne. Although Iowa State wants her, she’d prefer to stay closer to home. She’s decided to attend the University of Houston and study Bio Medical Engineering.
She lives in DeSoto and works in Cedar Hill and admits she has a pretty sweet job: she sells donuts at Krispy Kreme. “I used to love eating those donuts,” she says with a smile, “But after a summer working there…not so much anymore.”
One thing she does love is math. She says science and math are her two best subjects, and she hopes to get a degree in biomedical engineering and get a job helping others. “I’d like to make prosthetics for people who need them,” she says earnestly. Her father gave her the idea, since the industry is growing rapidly. And Danielle has spent a lot of time in local nursing homes, playing the piano for the residents.
In fact she can play a number of musical instruments. Danielle relates, “I was a clarinet player at my former school, but they needed a bass player for their jazz band, so the music teacher gave me a book and asked me to learn to play bass.” Basically self-taught, the clarinet and piano player learned the instrument, and as an 8th grader at Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill, she joined the high school jazz band.
She transferred into Bishop Dunne in her sophomore year on the advice of her parents, who wanted her to be in a more academically challenging school. “I wasn’t too happy about that at first,” she admits. Ms. Bove’s anatomy class is her toughest this year, although she’s getting an “A” in it.
Ms. Bove says, “Danielle is beautiful inside and out! She is witty, smart, and a gifted athlete. I love that she comes to class eager to participate and learn.”
Danielle appreciates all her teachers, and looks back at her parents” push to move her to Bishop Dunne as a tough time for her. “I had to leave my friends behind, she says. But now that she’s been accepted already into college, and has received a scholarship to attend, knows that the decision was the right one.
Sort of like her decision to join the cross country team last year. “I wanted to join my sophomore year, but wasn’t sure who the coach was,” she explained. Her friend, Mayleen Cantu, introduced her to Coach Stephen Guerrero last year mid-season, and Danielle began running with the team. She ran fast enough to qualify for the state meet and ended up finishing in the top quarter. She continued to run in the spring with the track team and ended her year in the district meet one place away from a medal. She’s back on both teams this year, running towards her goal which is to be the best student-athlete she can be.
But she was also invited to use her musical talent by playing piano for the school choir. “Mr. Johnson and I were talking one day and he found out I play piano, so he asked me to play for the Gospel Choir.” Then the choir director discovered that Danielle can sing, so now she does both, playing the piano for the choir if she’s needed, but usually just singing with them.
Her cross country coach Stephen Guerrero says, “She’s a talented young lady: a musician, scholar, and athlete – and a pleasure to work with.” Both Coach Guerrero and Mr. Johnson were invited to be at the Scholarship Luncheon to see Danielle receive her award.
Looking forward to college and a career helping others, Danielle’s parents, Terry and Pam, are proud of her accomplishments. For a girl who quietly excels in many areas, this Falcon is ready to soar into a future where she can let her hard work speak for her.
“God will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10