Signature School graduate Jackson earns recognition by Vanderbilt University, Forbes
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — As she earns prestigious recognition for her accomplishments as a medical student at Vanderbilt University, Signature School graduate Kianna Jackson is proving her hometown supporters right.
The first person in her extended family to become a doctor, the Evansville native has distinguished herself as a leader, mentor and student.
After completing her undergraduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016, Jackson, 25, has made her mark at the Vanderbilt University Medical School, where she earned her MD and will begin her residency in plastic surgery July 1.
The Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar has been featured in Forbes and received countless scholarships and awards, including being named this year’s Founder’s Medalist for the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt.
The annual award is presented to the top graduating student from each school in honor of the university's founder, and Jackson is the first black recipient for the school of medicine in the award's 143-year history.
Jackson credits the support of her family and the Signature School community as the catalyst for her success.
"I wouldn’t be where I am today without Signature School,” she said. “I was really upset at first when my mom made me go there, but I really ended up enjoying it. It changed the course of my life."
With the presence of teachers like Shane Thread at Signature, Jackson was more than prepared to excel outside the charter school's doors.
“It didn’t take me long to note that she had superior ability, Thread said. "There is no doubt (Jackson) has the ability to do whatever she wants in life, and I told her that early.
Thread, who taught Jackson throughout her four years at Signature, said she was a "little defiant" when she first arrived at the charter school. But once Jackson began focusing on her school work, she proved to be a top-tier student.
“Kianna fits the bill of the motivated learner," Thread said. "As soon as she set her sights on becoming a plastic surgeon, I knew she would do it. She handled it, and she grew tremendously as she was learning how to learn.”
Along with maintaining a strong spiritual base, Jackson’s mother, Marilyn Schmett, said the structure of Joshua Academy and Signature School gave Jackson the tools to excel in her academic and professional career.
Rather than attend a standard public school, Schmett wanted Jackson to learn in a way that was tailored to her abilities. Schmett placed Jackson in the Joshua Academy, in its original location in the basement of Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church, where she would set the foundation for her academic accomplishments.
"Her prayers were answered," Schmett said. "She kept moving despite whatever obstacles she had in front of her, and she was rewarded for that.
"For a little girl from Evansville that started her education in a basement of a church, and to earn the honors she has for herself, it's amazing."
Like her teachers at Signature, Jackson aims to help others looking to follow in her footsteps. Knowing how difficult it is to carve out a career in the medical field, especially for minority students from smaller cities, she wants to help offer them the same chances she was given.
“They are already a step behind, so I just try to provide as much of that mentorship as I can and connect them with the people that helped me," she said. "I wouldn’t be where I am without those people who helped me along the way.”