"Growing up as a Kentucky kid, you always look at the University of Kentucky as where you want to go. Everybody's a big basketball fan here. So, it's always like most kids in Kentucky's dream to be an athlete for the University of Kentucky."
Jackson Watts is now a University of Kentucky Track & Field senior, best known for the 3000-meter steeplechase. Watts grew up three hours away from Lexington in Slaughters, Ky.
"Growing up, I just kind of got into running, and my parents were pretty involved in it. My dad was my coach throughout my entire running career from when I started in second grade," shared Watts. "Never really had my sights on college until probably my junior year. And I started seeing some pretty good times."
Once Watts realized he could at UK, he took it.
"Kentucky always felt like home and a dream. And, once I became a possibility, I think I had a jump at it!"
Watts is now an outdoor steeple chase SEC medalist, and he recently achieved the fourth-fastest time in the program's 3000-meter steeple chase.
Jackson Watts posts the fourth-fastest time in program history in the men's 3k steeplechase‼️
— UK Track & Field (@KentuckyTrack) April 5, 2025
Stanford Invitational M 3000m Steeplechase Section 2:
3. Jackson Watts – 8:50.15 (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time)
📊 https://t.co/hbGoueIOtY#WeAreUK | #UKTF pic.twitter.com/QkCFWihi5x
"My goals freshman year, I think were mostly just to have fun," Watts shared. "My goal was never to be the best. At the start, it was always just set myself up in a good foundation and have fun and enjoy the sport. And, I think after that goal in achieving that, the times would come, and I started to build on my progress."
That success on the track, paired with his success in the community, landed him in the Frank G. Ham Society of Character. An organization that recognizes University of Kentucky student-athletes who give their absolute best in everything they do.
"My values and the way I grew up, my parents had always instilled in me, hard work and dedication, and the sport we're in also requires a lot of hard work and dedication. I think just having those values, it was never my goal to be inducted into the society. It just kind of happened with setting my sights on the dental school," Watts said. "And that's where I got into the involvement of the Big Brother Big Sister program."
The Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program is an organization that runs in Watts' family. His mother and her little sister were his first introductions to it.
"She's still in contact with her little sister. And I remember seeing how much of an impact she made on her life. I thought that would be a cool opportunity. And I knew it was a big undertaking, because it's not just like, an organization that I'm working for. It's actually a child that I'm putting in time to. And so I thought I'd be able to make a big difference."
Since Watts and his little brother Gabriel were matched in December, they've had a great time! They hang out on campus, go on fun outings, like a UK Men's Basketball game at Rupp Arena, and play games together.
From one Kentucky kid to another, Gabriel, who's only in fourth grade, is learning the value of setting goals from Watts.
"I've shown him around [UK's campus] a little bit. I train around the college a little bit, and he's always like, 'I want to be a football or basketball player.' And I'm like, you gotta go to university first or some type of university first. He's like,' Okay, I want to do that now.' And so he's starting to make goals for himself, which is really cool to see. And just grow as a person, too."
Watts is excited to continue being Gabriel's big brother when he attends UK's Dental school in the fall.
If you'd like to get involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, visit bbbs-bluegrass.org.
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