Kimmer Jackson will graduate from College of Western Idaho (CWI) on May 13, 2017. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2005, Jackson said she spent the next ten years “floundering” unable to find something she really wanted to do. She came to CWI in 2014 after the realization that working with people, which most jobs with a sociology degree involve, was not something she loved doing. Jackson wanted a degree she could actually use.
“I LOVE people, I just don’t necessarily LIKE people!” she said. “I want people to do well and I want to be a part of their success, just behind the scenes.”
Jackson said it was during her favorite course at CWI, Anatomy and Physiology, where she had her ‘aha moment’ and figured out exactly what she wanted to do. Realizing her love for anatomy and physiology and combining it with her interest in criminology she said, “Being a coroner seemed like the most obvious answer!”
During the fall 2016 semester, Jackson was selected an internship at the Ada County Coroner’s Office working as a Forensic Tech. She was the first CWI student accepted for the internship and one of three students selected from institutions across the Treasure Valley.
“I got to do autopsies with the pathologist, removed more brains than I can count, and held kidneys in my hands,” she said. “It ABSOLUTELY convinced me that it’s what I want to do!”
She said what excites her the most about being a coroner is the investigation process and trying to figure out what happened in order to give someone closure. In addition to this, she believes her background in sociology will provide her with a unique sense of empathy and understanding.
“I am not afraid of death,” she pointed out, “and feel like it’s my duty to be that person.”
Jackson will graduate with an Associate of Science in Biology. Because of her internship, Jackson said she has her foot in the door at Ada County and hopes to find a career as a coroner or crime analyst. She is happy to finally have a degree she can use and looks forward to a future helping people “behind the scenes”.
