PAL Program Support Made College a Reality for Jackson Greeno ‘23

When Jackson Greeno was approaching the end of his high school career, he was doubtful that he would continue his formal education any further. As someone who has struggled with learning differences such as dyslexia, anxiety, and attention-deficit disorder, he was fearful that the support he received in high school wouldn’t translate into higher education.

That was, until he discovered the Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) at Curry College.

Watch: Jackson's Video Tour of PAL

“I was nervous looking at college options and wondering what my next steps would be,” he said. “I thought, ‘Can I even go to college? Is there a school out there that will give me the support that I need?’”

Jackson was determined to find a school that would proactively address and support his learning needs. When Curry College popped up on his hunt, he decided to take a tour, discovered that his high school accommodations would indeed carry over, fell in love with the campus, and enrolled in the program that sealed the deal for him: Summer PAL.

Throughout the four-week immersive experience prior to his first semester at Curry, Jackson was able to establish relationships with his professors and met many new friends, something he was nervous about heading into the program.

“Summer PAL was awesome,” he said. “Being a part of the campus life weeks before other students arrive made me feel comfortable and supported during a big transition in my life. It showed me how much the PAL program advocates and cares for students, and I knew that I had made the right choice.”

Jackson is now a PAL Student Ambassador and served as a Peer Mobile Learning Tutor for this past cycle of Summer PAL, where his journey began. “I showed students how to use our technology in the best way possible,” he said. “The technology support like our App Wheel has tons of helpful programs on it to assist with writing, speaking, and learning. I was happy to demonstrate it for incoming PAL students so they can have the same experience that I did.”

With new personal and academic confidence, along with relationships that will last a lifetime, Jackson is finally ready to cross the Xfinity Center stage in May, with a degree in Public Relations in hand. He credits his preparedness to the PAL program.

“The PAL building will always be like home to me,” he said. “Every professor cares about you personally, and they’ll do everything they can to set you up for success.”