Community Success
Mikayla Jackson, chair of the Young Leaders in Action

Mikayla Jackson, chair of the Young Leaders in Action (YLIA) community impact group, is an example of the high-energy, goal-focused, high school student members of this new organization facilitated by The Community Foundation of Macon County.

The below article was published in the Fall 2019 issue of The Community Foundation of Macon County's newsletter.

When does she find time to sleep? That’s a very good question.

Mikayla Jackson, chair of the Young Leaders in Action (YLIA) community impact group, is an example of the high-energy, goal-focused, high school student members of this new organization facilitated by The Community Foundation of Macon County.

A senior at Sangamon Valley High School, Mikayla was recently named to the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council. In addition to already taking classes at Lincoln Christian University, the school she plans to attend next fall, she also serves on her high school’s principal advisory council, student council, color guard, dance team, FFA and FBLA, and she has played on the girls basketball team for the past two seasons. She is actively involved in the Oasis youth group at Harristown Foursquare Church, and while in eighth grade, she and a group of school friends formed Acts 29, a group of Christian youth serving to give back to their community. Mikayla is also completing a half-day internship at Sangamon Valley Middle School throughout this semester.

Mikayla shrugs off the idea that she is exceptionally busy, noting that YLIA is composed of other like-minded high school students.


“We all share similar goals. We all feel like we’re young leaders. I think this will be a good experience in working together, and I hope we’ll do some great things.”

Mikayla Jackson