Q&A with Dr. Kelly Jackson, Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging

Since joining Marlborough as Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging in July, Dr. Kelly Jackson has been spending intentional time getting to know our students, faculty, and families. Here, she shares what drew her to Marlborough, what excites her about our community, and why joy is essential to belonging.

What was your journey to this role at Marlborough like? What experiences in your own life have shaped your commitment to equity, community, and belonging?
Dr. Kelly Jackson (KJ): My journey to Marlborough has been shaped by the culture and community that raised me. Growing up in New Orleans—a place where joy, resilience, creativity, and collective care are woven into everyday life—I learned early what it means to belong to a community that truly sees you. New Orleans teaches you that everyone has a role in the story, and that our strength comes from honoring the rich diversity of people, traditions, and histories that shape us.

Those roots deeply inform my lens of inclusion. I was surrounded by a community that believed in gathering, supporting one another, celebrating identity, and embracing differences as assets. That foundation is why my work in equity, community, and belonging is grounded in cultural understanding, shared humanity, and the belief that every student should feel both valued and connected.

My academic and professional path expanded this early lesson. My doctoral research in global citizenship education pushed me to examine how we cultivate learning spaces where young people develop agency, empathy, and global awareness. Years of independent school leadership gave me the opportunity to build structures and programs that help students feel affirmed in who they are and empowered in who they are becoming.

Coming to Marlborough felt like a natural next step—a place where students thrive in community, and where my commitment to belonging aligns with a school already grounded in purpose and tradition.

In your first several months at Marlborough, what has excited you the most about our students and community?
KJ: Honestly, the energy here is palpable! Our students bring such curiosity, humor, and heart to everything they do. They think big, ask brave questions, and really show up for one another in ways that feel genuine.

What’s really blown me away has been the depth of our identity group programming and how thoughtful our students are about inclusion and belonging. They’re not just showing up—they’re bringing these incredibly nuanced, deeply caring perspectives to the table. They’re really thinking about what it means to create spaces where everyone feels like they belong.

That’s been the highlight for me: seeing our students lead these conversations, build supportive networks, and really embrace the idea that belonging is something we all co-create. It’s inspiring, and it’s one of the things that makes me so excited to be here.

You have spoken to community members about creating a space of saying, “Yes!” and intentionally empowering students. What does that look like in practice and why is student voice so central to your work?
KJ: Saying “yes” is about signaling possibility. In practice, it means listening to students’ ideas with intention, making room for their leadership, and removing barriers that unnecessarily restrict their creativity or agency. Whether a student wants to start a new initiative, create a program, or reimagine a tradition, my goal is to support them in bringing that idea to life.

From an educational perspective, this aligns with culturally responsive teaching and youth participatory frameworks that show students develop a stronger sense of belonging when they see themselves as contributors, not just participants. Student voice is central because thriving school cultures are built with students, not for them. When students know their experiences and perspectives matter, they invest more deeply in the community—and the community grows stronger because of it.
 

You are currently reading Unearthing Joy by Gholdy Muhammad. Why is this phrase so important to you? And why have you chosen to adopt it as a theme for this year?

KJ: “Unearthing Joy” really reflects how I try to move through the world, with intentionality—looking for the moments, big or small, that remind us why we’re here and who we are to one another. In our equity, community, and belonging work, it's easy for us to focus on what needs healing or correcting. That matters deeply, but joy is an essential part of the work, too. Joy grounds us and connects us. 

I’m inspired by scholars like Bettina Love and Gholdy Muhammad, who remind us that joy is not a luxury, but an essential element for thriving communities. Their work concerns what I’ve always believed: that when we create space for joy, we create space for belonging. 

Choosing this as a theme for our work with identity groups this year felt natural. Joy is what I see everyday on our campus, whether it's ways students uplift one another, the traditions I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing, or the pride I see them take in their work. When we notice joy, we tend to create more of it.