ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Jayson
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WHERE I COME FROM
I grew up in the area, the oldest of three children raised by a single mother in Pontiac. My mom was a bus driver for Rochester schools, but we could not afford to live here or attend such highly-ranked schools. We lived in a 900 square foot home, but we were loved, and I was taught to work hard and be resilient. My family hoped that I might be able to go to college, which would be a first for our family.
I attended and graduated high school at Pontiac Northern High School. We did not have AP classes or many of the advantages of the Rochester School District. But I had a couple of things going for me. I did well in school and on tests, and my teachers told me I was smart. They encouraged me to dream beyond what I could see, and to apply to college. I did so, and was accepted to the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
COLLEGE
I attended the University of Michigan and a whole new world opened up to me. I loved my time in Ann Arbor, and made life-long friends. While it was not easy financially, I cobbled together the funds from Pell grants, work-study jobs and student loans. My mother helped where she could, helping me stretch my limited funds as far as possible and offering moral support. I graduated on time, with a double major in psychology and sociology.
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I decided during my senior year to go to law school. I had scored very high on the LSAT and was accepted to many law schools. I initially accepted and planned to attend Georgetown Law School. In the end, my love for the University of Michigan (and in-state tuition) swayed me to attend law school at U of M. This is a top-10 law school in the country, and I was intimidated at first by my incredibly accomplished classmates. But I did well and graduated with my JD.
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MY CAREER
I have been a practicing attorney for over 25 years now. I spent the bulk of my career in complex litigation, working on challenging and intense cases. I have represented shareholders in complex securities cases such as the AIG Securities Fraud case, homeowners in the Flint Water Crisis matter, flood victims in the Edenville dam collapse, and numerous other matters big and small. In many of these cases, a team of lawyers worked together to obtain results, and I learned how to work collaboratively with strong personalities, all working for a common goal. This past year, I left private practice, and currently manage litigation and compliance matters across the country for a major corporation.
BEING A DAD
My entire life changed in 2015, when I became a dad. As I held my son for the first time, I told him that I would always love him, and would make sure he had everything he needed for a happy and healthy life. I try every day to live up to that promise.
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Like every parent I know, I want the best for my child. That includes his education. I moved into the Rochester School District because it is the best around. I joined the Board of Education so that I could ensure this high level of service continues, and to push for even more options for our students. My son is currently in third grade, so we have almost a decade left in RCS. I pledge to devote my time and resources to steering RCS into the future, making sure we continue to offer the best public education in the state.
