Erin Jackson speaks at the university-wide commencement speech held Friday, May 5. (Dylan Taylor/UF)
Erin Jackson is an Olympic gold medalist, a history maker and a Gator. Her story shows the type of grit, adaptability, and steadfastness UF graduates should be known for.
Jackson won the women’s 500-meter race in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, becoming the first American to win that race since 1994 and the first Black American woman in history to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport.
Additionally, she graduated UF cum laude in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering. Her undergraduate research focused on the fracture mechanics of dental ceramics.
Watch her speech for the University-wide, Spring 2023 Commencement