Men's Basketball | 12/2/2016 1:34:00 PM

Ashland, WI –
 
Often times, a brush with celebrity is a fleeting experience.  One that can be forgotten in an instance.  However, for Northland College LumberJack Basketball student-athlete Rijo Jackson, a direct family relationship to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has given him a personal inspiration for life.
 
Jackson's grandfather, Lawrence Jackson, who was a co-manager for the original Jackson Five at one point, is Joseph Jackson's brother.  The same Joseph Jackson who fathered Michael and founded the Jackson Five.  As a direct cousin of Michael, Rijo Jackson had a chance to experience a different world entirely.
 
"I'd spend summers at Michael's Neverland Valley Ranch," said Jackson.  "Our family would travel America with him and see so many sights and places.  I'm so blessed to be able to have some of those wonderful experiences as a youth."
 
Jackson recalls a time where the depth of Michael's celebrity was on display.
 
"One of my fondest memories with Michael was when he wanted to take a group of us family members shopping at a Toys-R-Us in the Chicago area," said Jackson.  "Of course, it was such a difficult thing for him to be out in public at any location, so he was able to call ahead and have the store closed down for a couple of hours just so we could go enjoy ourselves and find some toys that we liked.  Walking around in Spiderman costumes and just being kids…it was a really magical time."
 
With Michael's fame being so huge, one would think that an intentional separation from the public would lead to isolation from the rest of the world.  However, Jackson sees it as quite the opposite.
 
"Michael was so keenly aware of the needs of youth and those less fortunate than him in the world," Jackson said.  "When someone of his stature and fame continues to work to help others, one can't help but be inspired by it."
 
Jackson credits that inspiration with helping him become the student-athlete he is today, as well as helping him decide on his own future and the direction he chose to pursue academically.
 
"Michael's influence and inspiration really helped guide me to where I am today at Northland College," he said.  "Michael gave so much to charity and children's foundations.  He loved and understood the youth of the world and wanted to help in any way he could.  That really rubbed off on me.  I wanted to find an academic pursuit that would allow me to have a direct influence on children around the world and in my community.  That's why I chose to be an education major.  To be able to touch the lives of kids in a positive manner is something I think Michael would be so proud of."
 
After playing two years at Allen Hancock Community College in California, Jackson waited an extra year before taking the opportunity to attend Northland to further his educational and athletic careers.
 
"A foot injury two years ago stopped me from coming out to Northland following my second year at Allen Hancock," said Jackson.  "I'm really thankful that Northland stuck with me and gave me the opportunity to continue playing the game I love while providing me with a healthy education and getting me closer to my goal of giving back to the future of the planet…the children."
 
The King of Pop's influence is easily seen in Rijo Jackson and, indeed, with the entire team as one of the LumberJacks' pregame warm-up songs for home games is a Michael Jackson classic.  With such a powerful force as inspiration, Jackson's future of helping the future is in good hands.
 
The Jacks open up UMAC conference play this weekend with home game versus Crown (Friday, December 2 at 7:30pm) and UM-Morris (Saturday, December 3 at 5:00pm)
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, Wisconsin.  The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 15 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.