Dreaming big and daydreaming are two different things. One propels us toward our goals, and the latter can distract us from them. Marcus Jackson knows each state-of-mind well enough to have one change his life and the other change his community.

Jackson is the Executive Director of the Bridge Impact Center, a brick-and-mortar extension of Urban Bridge, located on Martin Luther King Avenue in Northeast Oklahoma City, just outside the Innovation District. According to its mission statement, the Bridge Impact Center is a place “striving to create environments that positively impact youth, families and neighborhoods in traditionally under-represented communities through mentoring, tutoring, college & career preparations, financial literacy, the arts and community partnerships.”

But it is also much more than its mission statement says; it is a safe place for youth to cultivate dreams, ideas and curiosity through programs built to create formative, holistic development opportunities.

Jackson started the Bridge Impact Center after years of daydreaming. He was born and raised in Northeast Oklahoma City, and throughout his time, he developed a saying, “If it’s not here, it’s not coming.” And it was that saying that ultimately led him to meeting the unaddressed needs he saw in his community – mentorship, educational programs and professional development.

Read the full story on VeloCityOKC.com.