“My mom told me my future would be what comes natural, what’s easy. Comedy is easy, so that’s why I chose this path, this career,” said Los Medanos College student and comedian Lenard “The KYD” Jackson,

Most students dream of doing what they love and living big, however, their dreams may take years to accomplish. For Jackson, the road has been paved and easily pursued.

“I’ve been performing since I was 8 years old. I’ve been used to the stage from a young age, and I’ve been cracking jokes since I started school,” Jackson said.

Some of his earliest jokes range from armpit noises during a cousin’s birthday party to making fun of his family members to lighten a mood.

Jackson knew he wanted to pursue a comedy career in his sophomore year of high school, when he auditioned for the annual talent show.

“I killed the audition, I had everyone on their stomachs laughing,” said Jackson.

In addition to getting his kicks in at school, Jackson made his mark at Tommy T’s Comedy Club in Pleasanton, where he is formally known by his stage name, “The KYD.”

Jackson perked up and spoke with a flutter and hand gestures as he explained how he got his nickname.

“At first I was nicknamed ‘kid’ because I was the only kid in the comedy club. Nobody knew my name so they’d just call out ‘hey what’s up kid?’” explained Jackson, “One day I told myself how stupid that sounded, and decided to spell it differently. I spelled it KYD: know your destiny.”

“My new nickname reflected who I was,” he said.

Tommy T’s became Jackson’s second home. He got his start there at age 15 and said he has had a different experience compared to everyone else.

Jackson has worked his way up the comedy ladder, starting from participating in open-mic nights to opening shows, hosting events and eventually headlining his own show.

Jackson lightheartedly shared stories of performances both recent and from his youth, including being involved in the LMC Drama Department’s production “My Block.”