Zonta International recognizes Lyssa Jackson '16

Lyssa Jackson, a senior business major, embodies what it means to be a woman in business, striding with confidence and grace. In fall 2013 she founded the club Skidmore Women in Business, and currently serves as an advisor to club leaders. She is also an active member in the larger Saratoga Women in Business network.

Recently she received the Jane M. Klausman International Women in Business Award from Zonta International, whose mission is to empower women through service and advocacy. Jackson competed for the award in Zonta’s Albany chapter, rose into the national pool and won there, and was finally selected as one of 12 winners from around the world to receive $7,000 in scholarship funds. She says, “I am incredibly honored to be a representative of Skidmore as well as Women in Business for this achievement.”

Jackson came to Skidmore with a deep interest in business, but initially she did not feel confident in many of her courses. She created Women in Business to support women students and help minimize the confidence gap between women and men in the classroom. The club is currently working on a new mentorship program and will host its first conference this April, with the goal of making the conference an annual event.

“I feel very passionate about women and their evolving place in the world and at work,” says Jackson. “Coming from a background as a first-generation college student and from the Skidmore Opportunity Program, I find it’s important that people understand that success includes failures. For every award that I’ve won there are 10 or 15 others that I didn’t get.” Although she has been successful in many endeavors, she is resilient—a testament to her persistence and character.

Looking to her post-Skidmore life, Jackson has secured a job as an executive team leader at a Target store. She also strives to earn her M.B.A and is currently in the process of researching her options and finding a program that is a good fit. ~ By Lisa Fierstein ’16