A path that took a few turns to find its footing.
From a top-ranked high school class, through a Musical Theatre conservatory in New York, to Economics and Business Analytics at the University of Houston Honors College.
From the stage to the classroom.
Jackson Bateman is an Economics student in the Honors College at the University of Houston, pairing a B.B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business Analytics. He's built a working résumé alongside his coursework — managing a retail storefront, waiting tables, teaching kids to code, and currently interning in commercial 3D spatial digitization.
He graduated from Cinco Ranch High School with a 4.45 weighted GPA, ranked in the top 10% of a class of nearly 800, and posted a 1310 on the PSAT (97th percentile) as a sophomore — the kind of academic foundation that's carried through everything since, including a detour into the performing arts.
How he got here.
Cinco Ranch High School
Graduated with a 4.45 weighted GPA, ranked 75th of 793 students, on a course load heavy with AP Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, and U.S. & World History. Also ran cross country and performed in school theatre.
Musical Theatre training
Trained in acting, voice, and dance at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, taking on lead roles including Danny Zuko in Grease and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, and performing at venues including The Green Room 42 and Broadway in Bryant Park.
Setting a course for economics
Weeks from completing his AMDA training, Jackson made the decision to pursue a transfer to NYU to study Economics. University policy prohibited enrolling full-time at two institutions at once, so he withdrew from AMDA ahead of the transfer — a deliberate trade of one goal for another he wanted more.
University of Houston, Honors College
After the NYU transfer was complicated by a medical issue, Jackson enrolled at the University of Houston's Honors College, where he's now pursuing a B.B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business Analytics.
What the stage actually taught him.
Public Presentation
Years of performing in front of live audiences translate directly into presenting confidently in a classroom or boardroom.
Ensemble Discipline
A production only works if everyone hits their mark — the same reliability that makes a team project or a shift at work run smoothly.
Composure Under Pressure
Live theatre leaves no room for do-overs. That same composure shows up when deadlines are tight and stakes are real.
Range
Between piano, composition, video editing, and juggling, he's used to picking up a new skill quickly — and actually using it.