Meet Samuel L. Jackson

You have seen, read, and heard him make a strong case for supporting USN. You are aware that Sam has kept the school’s yearly fund-raising robust even in difficult economic times. But what do you know about him personally?

Did you know that he came to Nashville at the age of 17 when TSU offered him a full scholarship for Concert French Horn? Or that in 2003 he trod the boards—“I was in a production of Driving Miss Daisy and in the leading role of Hoke.”—as an actor?

Now you do….but wait! There’s more:

Sam, the youngest of three children--he has a brother Terrance and a sister Latavius--was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. In high school, Sam waited tables at Shoney's during the school year even as he played trumpet in the band and second base for the varsity baseball team. It was also during his childhood that he developed hobbies that have stuck with him to this day. “I love to run, golf, and work with my hands.” His "handy work" includes carpentry, gardening, and car repair. He also enjoys autobiographies, westerns, and self-help books.

Obviously the band experience paid off for him and us, since it was what brought him to Nashville. “It was my first time away home for an extended period of time.”

The highlight of his college years was meeting his wife Jamie. They were in some of the same classes, became friends, and eventually started dating. In 2005 they were married. They now have two boys, Sam Jr., who is 5 (starting Kindergarten at USN this fall), and Jamison, who is 2. "As a family we love the outdoors, arts and crafts, reading, good movies, and theme parks.”

After college and before the children, Sam and Jamie stayed in Nashville. She became a school teacher, and in 2000 he went to work for the Boy Scouts of America as a Neighborhood Executive. In that role he managed scout units in inner city areas and helped facilitate meetings in areas where leaders could not be found. Over time, he received several promotions, eventually becoming Scoutreach Director.  He is proud that the inner city scouting program and tracking system he developed for the 37 county Middle Tennessee Council is still in place.

Sam’s first encounter with USN came about because someone from the school became interested in that program. During a visit to USN he took a tour and met with several members of the administration. That and watching students interact “sold me on the place.”

Since coming to USN, he hasn’t limited himself to fund-raising. He is also the Assistant Coach for the girls' basketball team and puts his acting skills to use by “occasionally moonlighting as Peabody the Tiger.”

Sam gets a lot of satisfaction from his job here. He enjoys how USN enables people from different backgrounds and points of view to develop lasting friendships. He values working with a “faculty that genuinely cares.” But, of all the things that motivate Sam, one stands out: “Watching our students grow and achieve success and knowing I had a part.”