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Chattanooga, TN – Daniel Jackson, a 2026 graduate of Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA), is spending the summer gaining professional engineering experience before beginning his studies in electrical and electronics engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this fall.
Jackson is currently interning with Blue Line Solutions, a company that develops and deploys school zone traffic safety technology designed to reduce speeding and improve roadway safety. The company works with school systems and municipalities across the country, including in Tennessee.
His interest in engineering developed directly from his experiences in music and audio production. Through opportunities at CCA and local organizations such as Dynamo Studios and Arch Audio Studios, Jackson was introduced to recording, production, and audio engineering. Working behind the scenes exposed him to the technical side of music and sparked an interest in the engineering principles that make it possible.
That interest eventually led him toward electrical engineering and helped open the door to his current internship. Mark Hutchinson, owner of Arch Audio Studios and founder of Blue Line Solutions, connected Jackson with the opportunity after learning about his plans to pursue engineering in college.
Jackson credits both coursework and hands-on experiences at CCA with helping prepare him for the professional environment. He points to AP Calculus AB as one of the most valuable classes he took, saying it strengthened his critical thinking and problem-solving abilities — skills he largely attributes to the guidance of his teacher, Dean Hogan, whose instruction helped shape his approach to complex problems. Jackson also helped to develop curriculum for Audio Video Production I, Audio Video Production II, and Songwriting courses before serving as a teacher’s assistant for the programs. “Helping develop curriculum taught me how to organize information and think about how technical concepts are communicated,” Jackson said.
Those skills have proven valuable at Blue Line Solutions, where his responsibilities include reviewing reports, preparing technical documentation, and assisting with the assembly and modification of equipment used in school zone safety systems.
One of the biggest learning experiences for Jackson has been becoming familiar with professional software tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat. “I came in with very little experience using those programs,” Jackson said. “Learning how to use them to create and manage important documentation has been valuable because I know that’s something engineers do every day.”
The internship has also given Jackson a greater appreciation for how engineering can directly impact communities. By helping support technology designed to improve safety in school zones, he has seen firsthand how technical solutions can create measurable, real-world benefits. “Knowing that what I’m doing in this internship has such a large impact is great,” he said. “Helping ensure other lives are protected makes the work I’m doing feel more valuable .”
Outside of engineering, Jackson remains active in music production and audio engineering. Through Dynamo Studios and other professional opportunities, he has participated in music industry workshops and producer camps, including programs featuring Grammy-winning producer Rodney Jerkins.
Looking ahead, Jackson hopes to combine his interests in engineering and music by applying technical knowledge to audio production and studio design.
“My dream is being able to build and maintain my own studio where I can apply what I’ve learned here and in college into something that I’m very passionate about, which is music.”
As he prepares to begin college, Jackson credits CCA with providing many of the opportunities that helped shape his academic and professional path. “I think CCA has been, by and large, the biggest catalyst for everything that I do,” he said. “The opportunities I’ve gotten through CCA have been the reason I’ve been able to do anything.” He credits CCA Principal Dr. Jill Levine, audio educator Tyler Reddick, and his mentors from Dynamo Studios, Kessler Cuffman, and Josiah Butcher, for helping guide and encourage him throughout high school.
With a foundation in both the arts and engineering, Jackson is entering college with professional experience, a growing network, and a clear vision for how he hopes to combine creativity and technology in the future.
Congratulations on your recent graduation, Daniel! We are proud of all you have accomplished and look forward to seeing what the future holds!
