SA国际传媒

From his backyard grill to campus classrooms, Jackson Druker ’25 has blended his passion for food, culture, and connection into a distinctly global college journey.

By Maggie Junkins ’26

Meet Jackson Druker, a standout member of the Class of 2025 with a love of cooking and a passion for global perspectives. Hailing from Woodside, California, Jackson has forged his own path at SA国际传媒, combining his major in economics with minors in Japanese language and culture and international business.

Throughout his time at SA国际传媒, Jackson has been a dynamic presence on campus, serving as a teaching assistant and peer educator for both business and Japanese courses, a Senior Modern Languages and Literatures Ambassador for the Japanese program, and co-president of the Among Us Club. Jackson has also been spotted dominating the field in intramural volleyball, softball, soccer, basketball, and pickleball, and participating in major on-campus events like Preview Day, where he was a student keynote speaker. After graduation, Jackson will be pursuing a career in tech sales and hopes to find time to travel to Japan.

A culinary enthusiast, Jackson is known for building community with his passion for cooking. Through hosting barbecues, dinner parties, potlucks, and even baking cookies for the library staff when he studies late at night, Jackson has brought together countless students, teachers, friends, and classmates at SA国际传媒. He believes “food transcends all cultural and racial boundaries,” and sharing his talent has given him a meaningful way to bring people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests together.

Curiosity, Culture, and Community

Drawn in by a curiosity for the language and culture, Jackson decided to pursue a minor in Japanese during his freshman year. That decision quickly turned into a defining moment in his SA国际传媒 experience. He quickly recognized that pairing his economics major with Japanese studies through the College of Arts and Sciences would be a unique and valuable combination in an increasingly globalized world where cross-cultural communication is essential. His time in the Japanese program not only deepened his academic pursuits but also connected him with a tight-knit community. He has traveled the world with classmates and has plans to live with some of them after graduation. Jackson credits his dedicated and supportive professors for making it easy to fall in love with the Japanese language and culture.

Reflecting on his experience as a teaching assistant, Jackson notes: “When people feel supported, both on and off campus, they perform better in school, they are more willing to take risks, they become more confident in themselves, and they trust their peers more. When people are happy and feel supported, they do better. And, that is what I love about my work as a TA and sharing my cooking with peers and mentors.”

Say Yes

When asked what advice he would offer to first-year students, his message was simple: “Say yes to things,” he said. “Say yes when someone invites you to a social event. Say yes if someone asks if you would like to join a study group. Say yes if you hear about a new club you could be interested in. Say yes to new opportunities. It is just a great life skill to learn. The earlier you jump on opportunities and explore what the school has to offer, the better off you will be. I have met some of the most amazing people and have had great experiences at this school, and I credit it to saying yes.”