By Evy York, Summer Editor • Jul 24, 2026
Sophomore forward Cayla Jackson stands in the huddle during the post-game speech following their match against Purdue Oct. 12, 2025.
As Illinois’ No. 2 leading goal scorer and No. 14 in the Big Ten in goals scored, junior forward Cayla Jackson started her career in Champaign off on a high note. By the end of the season, Jackson became a crucial piece for the Illini to return to the NCAA tournament after a 12-year drought.
Although Jackson made an immediate impact on the field in her first year, the effort she put into getting involved off of it didn’t go unnoticed either. The Daily Illini spoke with Jackson about her leadership roles off the field and what each of those meant to her on Wednesday.
**The following interview has been edited for clarity.**
The Daily Illini: I saw you were selected to represent Illinois on the Big Ten Student-Athlete Issues Commission. Can you explain a little bit more about what this group does and its purpose for student-athletes?
Cayla Jackson: I’m kind of the head of all of our athletics, and I’m really excited because I feel like I am a person who strives for change all the time. I’m just excited to be able to carry whatever issues we have here at Illinois or anything that people may not feel comfortable voicing their opinion on … Just seeing that come to fruition, and I’m feeling really grateful for being in that place and being able to represent well and cheer people on.
The DI: You also represented Illinois at the Black Student-Athlete Summit at the end of May. What was that experience like for you?
Jackson: That was awesome. It was just so cool to see so many like-minded people. It was also nice because I met so many people from different sports, as well as so many people that I just grew up playing soccer with. I think I had one girl from Florida I played soccer with. She plays at LSU now. I haven’t seen her in years. We played together from the ages of 7 to 12, and it was so nice to see her and catch up with her and just see how cool life has been for everyone — that was really awesome. I definitely learned a lot, and a big thing I took away from that was if nothing changes, nothing changes.
The DI: You and Lauren Seppi hosted Illinois soccer’s first Uplifting Athletes event. What was the process of putting that event on like for you?
Jackson: Back in February, we were blessed to go to the conference in Philadelphia, and it was just such an eye-opening experience, and we just wanted to do something here and make that change here, especially because it was our first ever one. It took a lot because there was a lot of convincing and basically expressing what the cause was … We have a girl on the volleyball team here, Taylor (de Boer), who also struggles with the rare disease, so just changing the perspective of our team I feel like was the biggest thing. Being able to just take a step out of your shoes for one second and realize that you’re doing something to help somebody else, and we raised way above our goal.
The DI: What did it mean for you to do that with one of your teammates?
Jackson: It’s always nice to have one of your teammates in your corner. I love (Seppi). She’s a great person. We’ve gotten to travel to a bunch of different conferences together and truly just step out of sight of our identity as an athlete. I feel like that’s something I pride myself in. It’s being a student first, being a person first. I am Cayla Jackson and not just Cayla Jackson, the Illinois woman’s soccer player. So I feel like it’s really nice to have somebody in my corner who continues to push me to know that I am more than my sport.
The DI: Since coming to Illinois, you’ve clearly not only made an impact with your team, but also in other areas on this campus. What does that just mean to you to be able to make such an impact when you’ve only been here for one year?
Jackson: All I can say is God is so good. I’m very in my faith myself … Actually, funny story, I did not want to come here. It was crazy seeing everything just come to fruition, like I said … When I was at Georgia, I was just a member trying to get involved and here, I feel like I’ve done a complete 360 in everything, and I’m really excited to see what else Illinois has in store for me.
The DI: How do you think participating in activities like these prepare you for a life after you’re done playing soccer?
Jackson: Oh my gosh, I can write an essay about it. I try to convince my teammates all the time. They laugh at me for having a LinkedIn profile. They laugh at me for posting all this stuff. But for me, I feel like life is all about opportunity, and I think life is so short. At some point, regardless if you’re 20 years old or if you’re 50 years old, your soccer career is going to end. I think it’s so important to network. I went to a NCAA conference in Indiana, and a girl said, ‘It’s not about the grades you make, it’s about the hands you shake.’ I thought that was super applicable for me.
@evy_york2
About the Contributor
Hi! My name is Evy, and I am a sophomore majoring in journalism with minors in public relations and business! This is my second year as a member of The Daily Illini, and I am so excited to take on the role of Sports Editor over the next year. During my time here so far, I have covered men’s and women’s gymnastics, soccer and, most recently, men’s basketball. Outside of working for The DI, I love going to 7 Brew, reading, watching basketball and going on long walks with my friends! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to my email below!
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