Jessica Nelson

Originally from Houston, Jessica earned a B.A. from Smith College in 2019, where she majored in Psychology and concentrated on Community Engagement and Social Change.

Upon graduation from Smith College, she served as a Lead for America fellow working for the City of Jackson, Miss. on special grant projects for organizations like Kellogg and the Aspen Institute.

Jessica served as an enlisted member in the Marine Corps from 2012-2018. While in the military, she served as a Geospatial Analyst and Reserve Intelligence Chief in South Korea, Okinawa, and Kuwait. Jessica attended the Warrior-Scholar Project academic boot camp in 2017 at Princeton University. Jessica also served as a humanities fellow for three summers with Warrior-Scholar Project, assisting active-duty service members and veterans in their transition to higher education.

Jessica is currently working on starting Grid North, a nonprofit assisting transitioning service members and veterans in Mississippi with the transition to careers in the civilian workforce. Jessica intends to attend law school with plans to continue a career in public service.