Meet Joe Shackelford a lifelong Jet from student to program director.
For more than two decades, Joe Shackelford has been a guiding light for radiography students at Jackson College.
The institution is more than just a workplace for Joe. It’s his origin story.
“I met my wife here. My son graduated from here. My daughter is currently a student here, so it is quite a family affair,” he said.
Jackson College means a lot to Joe. As a student, it gave him a sense of purpose.
“I didn’t come from a lot of money,” he said. “My dad was a mechanic and my mom worked off and on. So, it was really a step ladder to getting somewhere for me.”
In high school, the Reading, Michigan native was unsure of where to focus his passion, but the concept of medical imaging caught his attention.
“I was like any student; I’m just naïve thinking about what sounds good. I was a musician, an artist of sorts,” he said. “I thought I would like to do something that has a bit of an artistic flair to it. I thought, you know, images of the body sound great. There’s an artistic element to that.”
He wanted to carve out a career in and looked towards radiography because of the everlasting nature of healthcare.
“I suddenly had this avenue to go in a direction, and I think the road just kept leading me here,” he said. “I ended up doing it and it worked out. I wasn’t 100 percent sure in the beginning but sometimes the best route is a route that you don’t see that you end up walking down.”
Joe graduated from Jackson College in 1991 with an associate degree in applied science, radiography major. He was in the Navy which allowed him to get a scholarship to attend the institution. This became a launch pad for his future.
“From here, I learned that I could believe in myself and I knew I could accomplish anything I wanted,” he said. “After that, I feel like I just did well in anything I tried.”
After leaving Jackson College, he continued his higher learning at Michigan State University and later Spring Arbor University. Yet, he felt a pull back to Jackson College sparked by a conversation with the former radiography program director.
This would put him on the path to teach. Officially becoming full time in 2002.
“I always think about how much of a believer I am in the community college. I am a firm believer because I see so many students come in the same boat I was in,” he said. “Just starting out, not sure what they want to do and if they can do it. Then they come here and they learn a lot of complex things and I see them start to finish and all the changes in their lives and how they adapt to things and how they grow as people. So, it’s a really pleasurable experience the role I have.”
Joe takes pride in Jackson College’s nurturing atmosphere where students aren’t just faces in a crowd.
“I’ve had students come here from other places and comment about how the professors really care about them and give them the time of day. We’re willing to meet with them, talk with them and give them their best advice,” he said. “It was that way when I went here years ago and it’s been that way for a long time. I feel like Jackson separates itself in regards to how it treats people and how it treats students and that’s the way I try to do things.”
If you are interested in learning more about the radiography program click here.