Living The Example Spotlight: Skylar Jackson

Skylar Jackson, a senior at Germantown High School in Germantown, New York, is the only girl in a family of four other boys. She lives the example in all she does, both in and out of the classroom.

17 November 2016 | News

Since she was a small child, Skylar was fascinated with fire trucks. She desired to chase them, only to find out that was, indeed, illegal. But, she found her love and drive to be part of the community never wavered. One of her favorite TV shows is “Chicago Fire,” and has watched most firefighter-based movies out there.

Flash forward to October 2016. After many hours of studying and volunteering at the firehouse, Skylar passed her exams to become a certified level one firefighter. When she turns 18 in April, she will be promoted from support to working in burning buildings.

Skylar’s first call on duty was a heroin overdose. Hearing about it and seeing it in real life is different, she said.

However, this is only one part of this very busy teen’s schedule. She is active in many sports, including volleyball, basketball, and softball. Skylar said “keeping [herself] busy” during the day keeps her away from drugs.

(Living The Example) is about being the best you can be and staying out of trouble.

Skylar credits her mother, an OR Nurse at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, as the largest influence on her life.

“She’s an amazingly strong person and always pushes herself,” she said.

She has attended Germantown school her entire life. While she admits the small size often means not getting a great deal of privacy and seeing the same thing every day, she said the best part about being a member of a small community is the personal connections with teachers and fellow students.

As for what the future holds for her, Skylar is in the process of applying to colleges. Some of her prospects include SUNY Oneonta, Marist, and the University of Rhode Island. She plans to continue her work as a firefighter while studying to become a Surgical Physician’s Assistant.

Skylar said she commits to these kinds of activities to “give to [her] world.” She is proud of herself for accomplishing the task of becoming a firefighter; but, she wants to do more.

I think that teens just need to keep themselves busy in order to stay away from (drugs). Boredom leads to curiosity, and curiosity leads to experimenting. It's best to just stay busy.

Thank you, Skylar, for continuing to live the example!

•••

For more information on the “Living The Example” campaign, visit livingtheexample.org.