How Gonzaga Shaped O'Dea's Jackson Derby into the Person he is Today

SPOKANE, Wash.- Standing at Gonzaga's gates, a five-hour drive from his home in Tacoma, Washington, a tall, lanky Jackson Derby prepares himself for what is to come. What he doesn't realize is that he'll develop a strong attachment to the school and the wonderful community it fosters which will significantly impact his life.

The small Jesuit school in eastern Washington helped this 18-year-old develop in multiple ways.

‘’One, the opportunity to be in a community, also the opportunity to mature," Derby said.

Gonzaga, like O'Dea, provides a large community of people with diverse interests and backgrounds. The relationship between students and others, as well as the emphasis on character, faith, and service is a primary focus of both institutions.

This is what made Gonzaga stand out to Derby.

He came to value these things early in life, especially while playing sports. Derby participated primarily in track and field and cross country in high school at Bellarmine Prep High School in Tacoma, Wa. He enjoyed sports partly because of the feeling of winning, but more because it taught him the importance of showing up and working hard. Additionally as he made a lot of friends along the way. 

‘’It just teaches [that] you must show up on time for things and learn how to lose and be okay with that and celebrating wins and all the hard work you put in," Derby said.

He used the skills he learned from his various sports to help him both on and off the track and they were emphasized during his time on the Bulldog's campus.

These little things applied later in his life, such as when Derby decided to teach school. He was able to excel because he taught with intention and worked hard. The idea of developing as a person and helping others is something he enjoys doing and has found success in doing this as a teacher and coach at O'Dea High School.  

‘’A quote in the student center [at Gonzaga] from some Jesuit priest was like ‘the best measure of a university is what our students become.’ The things that you do to better the world. Gonzaga is a place where I went to grow and it cares more about it's students' development as people," Derby said.

Derby is in his second year of his tenure at O'Dea where he serves as an educational support specialist and coaches the cross country and track and field teams. He uses his role as a teacher and coach to instill the values that he developed in Spokane to impact his athletes in their lives.

"Mr. Derby is very supportive on the track. He motivates me to do better in track and in life," said sophomore track athlete Chais Rossman.

As Derby left the gates around Gonzaga campus in 2023, he has taken what he learned and has worked to make each and every person around him better. Whether it is in academics, athletics, or life, Derby finds a way to make an impact.