Cameron P. Jones

Hometown:
East Lansing, Michigan

Major:
Sociology with a Certificate in Criminal Justice

Why I Chose UW-Madison:
It's the entire college experience that I just really fell in love with. What I wanted in a school was a good track program. I wanted strong academics, which is more what my parents told me I should be looking for. But I really wanted a good social experience, too – you know, parades down State Street for our Homecoming games. I wanted an enriched environment, and Wisconsin gave that to me.

Dream Job:
School superintendent. If I go into educational administration, maybe I can make a change. I think that kids are not succeeding at the level that kids in America should be.

How I Pay for College:
I work with the track team, and basically I do timing and video editing. I work about 20 to 25 hours a week, sometimes 30, depending on whether we have a track meet during the weekend or not.

What I’ve Missed While Working:
I was a pretty decent track athlete in high school. I thought I was going to be running track here, but I broke my femur and had a pretty bad 24 months after that. But everything worked out for the best, because I became the manager of the track team, and everything just kind of went from there.

Why Scholarships Make a Difference:
If I didn't have that support from the University, I wouldn't be able to go to school here at all, because my parents don't financially support me. I've been on my own since I was 18.

Thanks to Great People:
The first person that comes to mind is a guy named Larry Edgerton, and he was my professor for a class I took freshman year. And that guy was probably the most influential professor I've ever met in my entire life, even after three years being here in college. The reason why is because that guy, even though the lecture had, I want to say, 200-plus people in it, that guy made a notion to meet every single person in that class and have a one-on-one with them and ask, “What do we need to do for you to succeed in this class and in college?” The next person's probably Coach Edward Nuttycombe. Coming to UW-Madison, knowing that I was going to know absolutely nobody, it was a little scary. People like Larry Edgerton and Edward Nuttycombe made me feel like, “This University is where you should stay.” Now I say, “Hey, you're right. Thanks for the info.’”