2019 Ennis Nominee: Jackie Randall
Jackie Randall (Center)
Jackie Randall has worked hard to empower young women.
Randall, an English teacher and the girls' athletic director at Elk Grove High School, has created and shaped opportunities for female students – athletes and non-athletes – while also developing their confidence and leadership skills.
At Elk Grove, she was a crucial part of a team that created EG Fierce, a female empowerment group that aims to foster pride, confidence, and opportunity for girls who are disconnected from school. The group, which has grown from five members to 30 in just months, meets monthly to discuss topics such as positive self-care, healthy relationships and mental wellness.
Additionally, Randall and the Athletic Department have collaborated with the Physical Education Department to create an athlete-only strength and conditioning course at Elk Grove. This class aims to fulfill the strength, conditioning, agility and leadership needs for the school’s student-athletes and enables coaches to work on sport-specific skills at practice after school. Students in the class are diverse in gender and sport, and both students and coaches say the class has been a great success.
This school year, Randall collaborated with her colleagues across District 214 to plan a Girls & Women in Sport Summit for all female athletes. The inaugural event, held in February 2019 to coincide with the 33rd anniversary of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, drew an impressive lineup of speakers, including Mary Wise, the head volleyball coach at the University of Florida. The summit also featured a panel of former District 214 student-athletes who were college athletes or are currently working in athletics.
“The Elk Grove High School administration has allowed for the development of programming, funding of crazy ideas, and policy innovation in order to create a space where I have the ability to make change,” says Randall. “I am so proud of our work and grateful for the opportunity to continue to support women in the community.”