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Laughter Is the Best Medicine: PHS Student Cracks Jokes to Help College Kids with Cancer

Jessica Jackson, 18, will host and perform in a standup comedy event for her senior project.

A conversation with Jessica Jackson usually involves a joke or two. One of her favorites goes something like this:

A duck walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender asks him how he’s going to pay for it, and the duck says, “Put it on my bill.”

“I’ve been telling jokes since I was 5 and, whether they were funny or not, I just loved them,” said Jackson, 18, a senior at . “I just like to make people laugh because I know that especially in tough times like these laughter is just so important.”

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She added: “Poway High is known for a bunch of tragedy, and I’ve always found comedy to help me through tough times or help others through tough times.”

It’s this passion that led her to host a comedy show for her senior project, in which she will also perform. She says 100 percent of the ticket sales will benefit Cancer for College—a nonprofit organization heavily supported by comedian Will Ferrell that provides academic scholarships to cancer patients and amputees.

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“I picked this charity because not only does it have to do with comedians, but I personally have had classes in which there was an empty seat because someone was at chemotherapy or in the hospital,” Jackson said. “She’s of course fine now, but I could really connect with the charity that way.”

The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, at . The show is $5 at the door, and Jackson encourages those who come to enjoy a bite to eat, as well as a raffle opportunity and karaoke.

“It’s definitely going to be a great time,” said Jackson of the family-friendly, PG-13 event that will showcase four other comedians. “It’s going to be interactive; it’s not just going to be sitting and listening to people talk.”

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