Jarrett Campbell graduated in 2000 from MVRHS. At the high school, Jarrett says, he just wanted to make his mom proud of him. He got involved in sports (football and track) and dramatic productions (“The Wiz” and “Little Shop of Horrors”). I remember him always with a smile on his face and a hand to help. He had a good attitude, and wanted to make the best out of high school.
This attitude has worked for Jarrett not only at MVRHS but throughout his life. After high school, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to go to college, or that he could afford it, but he applied — after all, it seemed that everyone at MVRHS was doing that. He got a small football scholarship to Curry College in Milton, and attended there for one year. He found that his love of football was not his passion, but communications seemed to be. He created his own campus radio show while at Curry. However, college didn’t seem “to be his thing,” or perhaps it was the cost of it. He left after that year, and moved into Boston to live with his grandmother. He worked two or three jobs to pay his bills and also to help his grandmother. He made good money. Eventually he was able to move his grandmother into Windemere at M.V. Hospital. Her daughter, Jarrett’s mom, was on the Island to care for her mom. Jarrett got his own apartment in Boston, and continued working multiple jobs.
In 2010, he made a decision. He moved home part-time to Martha’s Vineyard, keeping his apartment in Boston to return to on weekends. In 2013, he moved back full-time. He found work caretaking. Jarrett has now worked that very same job for 14 or 15 years, and hopes to continue it as his lifetime profession. He loves the work and the people: “I love the land, the beauty of it, and taking care of it.”
Jarrett and his wife, Courtney, both having full-time professions, were able to buy an Island home in 2018. Now they have two babies, and they both continue to work full-time with supplementary jobs in order to be able to live on M.V. As we know, it is very hard for young families to maintain living on our Island, but we, as the greater community, need to make sure that they are able to do so, because our children should be able to grow their children on our wonderful Island. Best to you, Jarrett — you make us proud with your effort and persistence.
This series runs twice a month. Marge Harris was a teacher at MVRHS for 27 years. She lives in Oak Bluffs. You can contact her at margeharris@comcast.net.