For some students, Miss Felicia Jackson may be the brightest spot in their day. Just ask sophomore Brooke Wood. Wood, along with sophomore Ethan Marasco, organized a school fund-raiser to help to Jackson pay for her mother’s funeral. 

Jackson has worked in the school cafeteria since 2015, and said she has fallen in love with Cathedral students. She said that if she wasn’t working with students, she would be helping the elderly. She said she feels that since students still have so much of a life ahead of them, there is a lot left to teach them. That is one of the many reasons she loves her job.

Jackson has two kids, Quan, who is 27, and Warnaesha, who is 15 and will attend Cathedral next year. Jackson said, “I work very hard as a single mother.” 

Last fall, Jackson lost her mother, Mrs. Dorothy B. Jackson, at age 79. She was devastated. Jackson told stories about coming home from school as a child and having snacks her mother had made for her almost every day. She loved her mom and said she hopes she is as good of a mother to her kids as her mom was to her.

Pitching in to help a friend

Wood and Marasco talked to Jackson about her mother. They informed Vice Principal Mr. Jere Kubuske of the situation, and he let everyone know. Within a week, students had raised about $2,200 for the cause. Jackson said, “My reaction was more than shocked. I was so grateful to have students in my life like these ones; the students here are unlike any others.” She said that when times get hard, she realizes how lucky she is to have students such as the ones here. 

When Jackson told Wood about her mother’s passing Wood felt horrible for her. Wood said “it was a heart breaking moment, but I knew what had to be done.”

When Jackson arrives at school around 8 a.m. she gets right to work. She is in charge of taking care of smoothies, drinks, cappuccinos, yogurt and fruit cups. She loves the favorites station, because there is always something different there every day. She works the lunch line, charging students for their food and drink for all three periods. Students stop and talk to her all of the time, and she is always smiling.

Wood said, “Cathedral is very lucky to have someone like Felicia. Students get very stressed out every day with school work, their social life and family life. Felicia can make all of those problems go away just with a simple hello.”

Jackson isn’t just making students happy; they make her happy as well. 

She said with a big smile, “You guys truly do make me happy to come to work in the morning.” She said she loves standing at her register watching the kids get their lunches and then come over to have a conversation with her. Jackson said, “I feel more than blessed.”

More than just an employee

Jackson wants all students to know that she cares about them. She said, “I make sure that they found everything OK and if they need something, I’m gonna get it for them.” She also loves to joke around with students since they are still kids. Her favorite is to see students smile when they are having a rough day. Jackson said that there isn’t a certain student that she is closer with than others, but that she is close with everyone and is happy about that. 

Jackson teared up as she said, “Y’all helped me. In a way I feel bad because I came to students for help, but it reminds me that y’all love me just as much as I love y’all.”