Marietta Native Brings His AAMU Journey Full Circle Through Service and Bulldog Pride

When Alabama A&M Football takes the field in Atlanta Saturday, Michael Jackson Jr. will be watching two important parts of his life come together. Jackson grew up in Marietta, Georgia, graduated from AAMU in 2023 and now serves as vice president of the Metro Atlanta Alumni Chapter. On Saturday, Aug. 29, he will join alumni and fans at Center Parc Stadium as the Bulldogs face Howard University in the 2026 Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

For Jackson, it is much more than another football game.

“Attending this game means everything to me,” he said. “Being able to support my alma mater in my hometown, I definitely have to represent.”

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central (7:30 p.m. Eastern), with the game airing nationally on ABC. But Bulldog Nation’s presence in Atlanta will begin well before kickoff.

Jackson and the Metro Atlanta Alumni Chapter are helping turn the occasion into what he calls a “Bulldogs Takeover Atlanta,” with activities planned throughout the weekend. Events include a kickoff pep rally, the chapter’s 21st Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, Bulldogs at The Battery and HBCU Night at the Atlanta Braves game, along with game-day activities.

For Jackson, helping organize the weekend is another chapter in a relationship with Alabama A&M that began when he was a high school student searching for the right university.

Raised in Metro Atlanta and inspired by his sister’s experience at Clark Atlanta University, Jackson knew he wanted to attend an HBCU. He was also looking for a university where he could study construction management.

Then he visited The Hill.

“Stepping onto campus for the first time, I immediately felt a sense of belonging,” Jackson recalled. “The High School Senior Day presentations highlighted a powerful collective pride among the students and faculty.”

AAMU offered something else he wanted: enough distance from home to establish his independence while still keeping his family within reach.

“If I had to make this decision 100 more times, my answer wouldn’t change,” he said. “I truly learned so much about myself at this institution, and the gratitude that I give AAMU goes deeper than academics. It’s a place where I grew as a leader and found my identity.”

That growth happened throughout his four years on The Hill.

Jackson was a member of the AAMU Honors Program and University Echo Student Ambassadors and spent three years in the Student Government Association, eventually being elected SGA vice president. He helped revive MALE Initiative Week following the COVID-19 pandemic, worked on the Bulldog Choice Awards and represented AAMU at student leadership events.

One of his most memorable moments came at the end of his college journey when he had the opportunity to speak at his graduation ceremony.

“The crowd, the graduates, the emotions, the anticipation — everything you love about graduation, I experienced it all,” Jackson said. “Not only did I accomplish my goal of finishing in four years, but I exceeded my own expectations.”

The leadership experiences Jackson gained at AAMU would prove just as valuable as what he learned in the classroom.

“Being involved helped me become well equipped to be an asset to any committee or team that I join,” he said. “Student leadership was the thing I enjoyed most about my college experience.”

Jackson’s AAMU experience also helped launch the career that brought him back to Metro Atlanta.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in construction management and began working as a field engineer with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company after first joining the company as an intern in 2022.

Finding that opportunity required persistence. Jackson attended every AAMU career fair beginning in fall 2019, including virtual fairs held during the pandemic. By his junior year, however, he had yet to secure an internship or job offer.

Then came Whiting-Turner.

“I prepared, I networked, and I let God do the rest,” Jackson said.

The internship became the beginning of a career that has allowed him to work on major projects, including facilities connected to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. He also serves as one of the lead recruiters for Whiting-Turner’s Atlanta office and as a recruiting lead for the National Society of Black Engineers.

For Jackson, those roles provide an opportunity to do something that has become increasingly important to him: create opportunities for others.

“This is incredibly important to me because it gives me a platform to build a pipeline for the next generation of engineers,” he said.

Graduation did not end Jackson’s relationship with Alabama A&M.

Through the AAMU Alumni Association and his leadership role with the Metro Atlanta Alumni Chapter, he has remained connected to classmates, older alumni and younger Bulldogs following in their footsteps.

“Being connected to some of my classmates and Bulldogs who came before me has been phenomenal,” Jackson said.

He sees that connection as more than maintaining friendships or attending University events. For him, alumni involvement comes with a responsibility to make sure the next generation has people willing to encourage and guide them.

“Being a resource for the younger generation is the way to go,” he said. “It’s so important to give back and be the big brother that they might need.”

That spirit of service helps explain why Jackson is excited about what is happening in Atlanta.

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge gives alumni another chance to support the Bulldogs on a national stage, while the surrounding events offer opportunities to reconnect with classmates, meet Bulldogs from other generations and introduce others to the pride and fellowship Jackson first encountered when he visited AAMU as a prospective student.

This time, he gets to experience it in the community where his own journey began.

Jackson has been part of the planning committee helping prepare for the influx of Bulldogs, and he has a simple message for those making the trip to Atlanta.

“I just hope everyone coming from out of town is ready to show up and show out.”

From the pep rally and alumni gatherings to the bands, fans and Saturday night matchup, Jackson expects the weekend to capture much of what keeps alumni like him connected to Alabama A&M long after they leave The Hill.

And when the Bulldogs finally take the field, he knows what he will be looking forward to most.

“I’m excited for the game, the fellowship, the band, the fans, and seeing what the team does this year!”

Learn more about upcoming events and activities from the AAMU Metro Atlanta Alumni Chapter, and get tickets for the 2026 Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge.