Student Highlight - Cherise Jackson
Meet Cherise Jackson, a fourth-year Cinematic Arts, Film major at Cal State University Long Beach. With their degree, Cherise plans to step into the film industry focusing on sound production and design in documentary work, movies, TV shows, and sound production and design. Fun fact: Cherise is also the Social Media Director for CSULB’s Black Student Union.
Cherise chose CSULB after touring the campus and being drawn to the scenery and community. It felt like the “right time, right place,” compared to other schools they visited. Cherise walked the empty campus with their sister, "imagining what it would be like to sit on the grass with new friends and spend time in the buildings surrounding them."
Once enrolled, Cherise lived in Parkside H, the Black Pan-African Scholars Housing Building, where they met their roommates, who they’re still close with today. Cherise also connected with Key (They/Them), one of the three Black RAs, who became an important role model. Key was one of the first people to openly validate Cherise’s gender identity, discussing topics like gender euphoria and the complexities of being queer in Black households. Throughout the semester, Cherise spent a lot of time attending events hosted by BPASH and Pride House, which helped them expand their network beyond the dorms. Conversations like “Are you going to the NSBE meeting?” or “Want to carpool to the Black Student Union Beach Day?” became regular parts of their social life.
For Cherise's second year, they moved off campus, but it was there that they continued to create lasting memories with those they welcomed into their home. Living off campus allowed Cherise to host hangout sessions, whether it was getting their hair braided in the living room or decorating gingerbread cookies in the kitchen. These simple moments held reminded Cherise of the community they had seen when they first enrolled to Long Beach State.
When asked about the change they would like to see on campus, Cherise went on to say they, "hope to see on campus is stronger connections between student organizations and those in higher positions who can help drive change." While supporting student-led events is important, Cherise believes that having more in-depth conversations in these spaces and offering help when needed will help strengthen community networks. Cherise encourages others to take this approach by being more of a listener, rather than rushing to "fix" perceived issues from an outsider’s perspective.
One of the various roles Cherise holds is being the Black Student Union Social Media Director. Their role provides a welcoming online digital space by collaborating with the social media team to provide fun and trendy ways to spread Black Student Union information. Relating to their major, Cherise is a member of both Women in Film and the Producer’s Club. The Women in Film organization holds workshops and panels to educate students on different roles in the industry. While also showcasing how women’s roles impact the environment of the set through the promotion of gender equality. The Producer’s Club is an umbrella for film students that want to learn about different roles and gain experience on film; short films, documentaries, roles, and skillsets for these jobs. Lastly, they hope to continue being more involved with La Fuerza, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Eritrean Ethiopian Student Association (EESA).
To Cherise, being a Black Scholar means embracing your true, authentic self while being aware of the environment around you and recognizing the perspective you bring into new rooms. It’s about staying open-minded to learning new things and broadening your perspective. By "keeping an open mind to what new opportunities may teach you." Cherise advises students: “Don’t get caught up in the material aspects of everything. Focus on the quality of your time as a student and go into everything with the mindset of what I can learn.”
Cherise Jackson’s Photography account: @cj.tteo
