Access Champion: Jackie Belden Hawthorne

December 6, 2024 - Becky Jensen

“I have the honor of seeing the true beauty of people in my work. I get to see many perspectives, many lives and even the unexpected,” said Jackie Belden Hawthorne, photographer for the MSU College of Social Science. Hawthorne is responsible for many of the photos you will see on websites and social media channels across the college. She is also the driving force behind many of the visuals you will see in the Access Matters Accolades newsletter. Hawthorne believes diverse representation in imagery is critical.  

“I am by nature a curious person, which allows me to be open and accepting of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and ideas, both at work and in my personal life. Being employed as a photographer is a privilege, as it is my role to work with and be accepting of a variety of people,” said Hawthorne.  

Hawthorne takes photos for many of the schools and departments in the college, capturing candid images at events, photos for brochures and promotional materials, as well as portraits of students, faculty and staff.  

"Jackie Hawthorne is more than an extremely talented photographer. She is a skilled professional who goes out of her way to ensure all the images she creates highlight one of our greatest assets as a college - our diversity. Through her thoughtful approach to photography and the way she works with writers and other colleagues, she allows our content to include perspectives that otherwise may not have been shown often enough. Not only does she create gorgeous images, but she also captures the beauty of inclusion at all levels,” said Karessa Weir, Communications Manager, MSU Political Science, Sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies.  

Hawthorne is a ‘Chicagoland’ native. She attended high school in Barrington, Illinois, Middlebury College in Vermont, and received her master's degree in visual communication from Ohio University. She has won numerous national awards for her work in newspaper photography. She also worked for the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. Hawthorne, who is fluent in French, has traveled to many countries and lived in many places, from Paris to Seattle, and even worked on an Alaskan fishing boat. She has had many life experiences and of course has photos to remember her experiences. One of her favorite photos, taken in Cuba, is included in this article. However, despite enjoying so many different places, she says there’s no place like MSU.  

“I have lived in East Lansing for 19 years. MSU has such a vibrant and beautiful campus. My kids learned to ride their bikes here. It is truly my home. I love the energy of the students. I am also fortunate to work within a very supportive Communications team,” added Hawthorne.  

Before her photography role on the college communications team, she taught photojournalism at MSU and worked as a photographer and project manager at Matrix, Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences at MSU.  

While not taking photos, Hawthorne likes to hike, bake, listen to music, play games and spend time with her family, which includes her husband, MSU Professor of African History, Walter Hawthorne. They have two children. The youngest is JD, a senior in high school, and the oldest is Katherine who is a college student. Hawthorne says she is very inspired by both her children, but she has learned so much from Katherine.  

“My 20-year-old daughter has chronic illness and has faced numerous physical and social challenges in her young life. Despite these obstacles, she has a positive attitude and is successfully navigating attending college away from home as an actor. She is also open about sharing her story in the hopes that other young people won’t feel so alone in their health struggles,” said Hawthorne.   

She also has a core belief that she says is central to her life, both professionally and personally.  

“It’s very simple. Treat everyone equally with kindness, openness and compassion.”  

 

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