STARDOM IN DENTON, TEXAS
This photo story follows Jaylen Jackson, a then-21-year-old Denton resident, as she prepares to film an audition. Jackson began taking acting classes in high school and is now represented by a Dallas agent and now has a Los Angeles agent and manager. A small-town Texas girl, Jackson was not drawn to acting by the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles or the promise of fame. Instead, she is driven by a deep connection to the craft and a passion for storytelling. What may seem like a far-fetched dream is, for Jackson, closer to becoming a reality.
Jaylen Jackson, a 21-year-old actress, holds her cat, Mia, for a cuddle before she prepares to film an audition on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Mia has been Jackson's cat for 15 years, since she was six years old. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson looks through different scripts at her desk in her apartment in Denton, Texas on Feb. 19, 2025. Jackson's room is her safe place, with her cat, plants and many movie posters that cover her walls. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson prepares for an audition on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 and is putting the frame together that holds up her blue backdrop. This part of the audition process is the most frustrating for Jackson; her room is too small, her equipment is too big and its very hard to do alone. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson applies her Dior lipstick in her mirror before she begins filming for an audition on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Her Dior lipstick is the most expensive item in Jackson's makeup routine, as she has never been a fan of anything more than her drugstore staples. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson reads over the requirements for her audition one last time before beginning to film on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Jackson changed into a University of North Texas pullover and is playing a college student in this audition, despite not having taken classes since the spring of 2022. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson fidgets with her nails as she is filming an audition on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Jackson is always hypercritical of her appearance when she is filming her auditions, even down to her nails, which normally aren't even painted. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Jaylen Jackson is highly focused on perfectly executing every aspect of the audition that she is filming on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Jackson was rereading the instructions from the casting directors for the last time before submitting the audition tape. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
AN ICE COLD PROTEST
This photo story documents a walk-out protest held at the University of North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Students protested a recent increase in arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following President Donald Trump’s January inauguration. The protest began on the south side of Library Mall before moving around the University Union and across campus. The crowd's chants could be heard all through campus as they advocated for those affected most by the change in policy.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the University of North Texas, students participate in a walk-out protest against suspected ICE presence on campus and in Denton and recent deportations of immigrants into the United States following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Even if it was a message written hastily in a notebook, those who were passionate about the cause made a noticeable effort to show their support. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Hand painted signs in vibrant reds and greens, like the Mexican flag, are waving high at the protest against ICE and the deportation of Mexican immigrants on Wednesday, Feb. 12 in the Library Mall on the University of North Texas campus. Many signs said these two phrases: "We speak for those who can't," and, "families belong together." Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
Gathered around people speaking in the Library Mall on the University of North Texas campus Wednesday, Feb. 12, protesters with signs listen with grim looks on their faces. ICE agents were rumored to have been on campus in the days prior, which fueled emotions at this protest. Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
In front of the Hurley Administration Building on the University of North Texas campus on Wednesday, Feb. 12, protesters against ICE hold signs and chant to bring attention to the issue they are assembling and marching for. One of the chants said, "No Trump, no KKK, no racist U.S.A." Photo/ Natalie VanDerWal
