CDC nutrition expert Dr. Caree Jackson was blessed with two educated parents who made sure the arduous path toward college was well-lit for her from a very young age. As Jackson describes it, “I never considered not going. I always knew it was a standard.”
Pursuing her doctorate resulted from Jackson’s initial goal to become a medical doctor — a goal that turned out to be more of a direction to head in than a passion. “I was on this path being a biology major and so many of my friends went to medical school and couldn’t see themselves as anything other than a doctor,” she says. “And, I remember in college thinking, ‘I don’t know.’ ”
Jackson’s uncertainty manifested in her not being accepted to medical school, and although she felt like a failure at the time, the rejection turned out to be an amazing blessing because it set her on a path toward finding her true passion.
“After I completed my pre-med program, my father passed away from prostate cancer and I spent a lot of time in the hospital and I saw a disconnect between what the doctors were saying, the food that was being served, and other things just didn’t speak to my spirit,” she shared. “I felt like ‘I don’t want to wait to be treating patients after the fact, I want to see them before this.’ ”
Jackson decided she really wanted to focus on improving the health of African Americans in the community — especially children. “I never realized my passion would be nutrition and kids,” she said. “I was raised to be a humble person, but I have to say I am so proud of the work that I do.”
Having her doctorate degree has opened countless doors of opportunity that Jackson believes have changed her life in ways that are too numerous to describe. “My mentor told me, ‘Caree, once you get your Ph.D., it’s a ticket in the door,’ and, it really is,” she says. “There are more of us who are in influential places, making decisions and giving back … I feel like I do have a ticket in.”
Jackson’s message to those who feel unsure about the decision to pursue their doctorate is the same message she told herself along the way, “Don’t listen to the inner voices that say you can’t … you can do it.”
