Life's roulette wheel does not always reward the people it should. At least not on the first spin.
Jackson Cancel '26 dutifully met every deadline for college admission in November, confident but not overly so in his scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, and character that would shine through in essays and letters of recommendation.
Then the waiting began. December, January, and February came and went. As of March 1, the Head Prefect from the Class of 2026 had still not gotten into any of his top schools.
Imagine having everything going for you, nothing to show for it, and still doing the right thing. Jackson did in fact double down on his commitment to the Christ School community, hanging around Cuningham House more than ever and joining in on weekend activities. Jackson further poured himself into being part of the first cohort of Global Studies scholars, giving his capstone presentation in February.
“It was a lesson in patience and gratitude and really allowed me to refocus," Jackson said.
"You spend so much of your senior year looking at where you’re going to be (in the future) and I was able to refocus on where I am now and trust God’s plan for me. I would spend 2-3 nights a week around the younger guys in Cuningham, just being around them and building community, and I’m super grateful I was able to do that. I was pushed to do that by God and it made me even more grateful for the moment.”
The moment in question? Last Tuesday night when Jackson, with his father, Quinton Sr. P’23, P’26, looking over his shoulder, opened the latest update sent to his Duke University admissions portal. The Cancels watched digital confetti rain down when the acceptance message was opened and immediately started jumping up and down.
Duke received 61,935 applications this year with an acceptance rate of only 4.7 percent.
“Duke has been my dream school since I was a little kid,” Jackson said.
“It’s a sigh of relief, overwhelming gratitude. I just want to thank every teacher who sent a letter on my behalf, every hug I’ve gotten along the way from people telling me to just see it through. I’m just so thankful for the support and so thankful to be at Christ School. I’m still deciding and praying on it (before finalizing his college decision), but I’d have to say my heart is in Durham.”
The Cancel family calls Asheville home but both Jackson and his older brother, Quinton Jr. ’23 (a student-athlete at Davidson College), were born at Duke University Hospital in Durham.
For now, Jackson plans to major in Political Science with the possibility of Sociology, African-American Studies, or Sports Management was a double major or minor.
Jackson is the Day Student Prefect, an AP Scholar, Global Studies Program scholar, president of the Black Student Union, and holds a leadership position in the new Common Ground club. He has played football, run track, and acted in theater productions during his time as a Greenie.