Before coming to the University of Michigan, Joseph Jackowski had always been fascinated with the human mind.

“It had seemed to me, for some time, that the best we can do in life, the most we can control, is our own behaviors,” Jackowski said. “Regardless of how much control we have over the state of the world, its obstacles and obscenities, we can always aim to control ourselves, ideally, in service of something meaningful.”

After exiting the Marine Corps, Joseph decided to pursue this interest in the human mind and investigate what about our minds and ourselves is truly influencing these behaviors. After exploring different opportunities, Jackowski decided on U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience program as his top choice, saying that it offered, “the perfect overlap between mind and body.”

Since arriving on campus in Ann Arbor, Jackowski has found both inspiration and challenges. Being a 27-year-old transfer student and veteran means there are some gaps between Jackowski and his classmates when it comes to interests and personalities. Nevertheless, Jackowski said these gaps are infrequent, adding that they are, “minor in comparison to the opportunities and genuine, sincere, and often inspiring people I’ve met since moving here.”

Jackowski works with Susan Gelman and his tentative thesis title is "The Voice of Meaning: How Veterans Use Generic-You When Referencing Negative-Emotional Events."

Read the full article at U-M Enrollment Management.