SGA President 2020-21
Jacori Daniels
Hometown: Hazlehurst, MS
Classification: Senior
Major: Biology pre-med
Future plans: Rural physician
Pastimes: Bowling, running, shopping, reading
Explain your platform POWER (Providing Opportunities Where Everyone Rises).
I want everyone to feel they can be a catalyst for change. You have to spread power and love to advance the community.
Explain how JSU shaped you into the 75th SGA president.
My leadership roles at JSU have taught me to be a professional at all times, not to be lax and to maintain a professional look. They have taught me patience, too, which is thin. However, I’ve come to realize that everyone doesn’t work as fast as I do or may not catch on as quickly. I’ve learned how to connect with others better and not to be uptight but instead to talk, walk, dress, stand out and be hip on a mature level.
Explain the heavy toll COVID-19 restrictions are having on the SGA and student morale.
Initially, it was hard for a lot of students, staff and even family members to accept that we were not going to have a normal school year – no graduation, no fall football games. Ninety-five percent of events are virtual, so it hit students’ morale quite a bit. We’ve been trying to look for ways to uplift students. It’s so difficult to have class instruction online due to technology disruptions such as WiFi, for example, or living in areas with bad or no connection. Also, some people live in different time zones. In-person allows us to raise our hands in the classroom when we have questions and congregate in the library for study sessions.
How will the hiring of Deion Sanders as the new head football coach impact the campus community?
With Coach Prime, this is a great way to boost student morale and give everyone something to look forward to in the spring, along with increased enrollment and economic impact.
As it pertains to your future as a rural physician, what’s your ultimate goal?
The biggest thing is providing quality care within rural areas because a lot of times people have to travel to Jackson, which is not a skip and a walk. People shy away from medical attention because it’s not accessible. Then, they form negative opinions about health care. With one bad experience, they may refuse to travel 35 miles north. My goal is to serve all people and not because it looks good. It must be genuine and real. I don’t want to do it just because of the money.
Explain why you’ll always bleed blue and white.
Jackson State has impacted me by showing that you don’t have to go to a PWI to gain adequate contacts for a successful career. You can do that through JSU, and probably better, and come out well structured. I’ve learned how to connect with others better and not to be uptight but instead to talk, walk, dress, stand out and be hip on a mature level.