I applied to Jumpstart last year thinking of no better way
to earn FWS than by reading to children. I am returning because it’s so much
more. For me, Jumpstart is working alongside outstanding college students,
building on my professional skills, and most importantly, connecting with
teachers and children. As an international studies student, it’s easy to get
lost in policy and politics. Jumpstart has allowed me to understand and
incorporate the human element into my perspective. Wherever my career takes me,
the encounters I’ve had with eager-to-learn preschoolers and devoted educators
will guide me.
However, just as Jumpstart’s motto “Children First”
advocates, I am hardly enrolled for me. The real benefactors are the children
we interact with. This is not gauged by standardized tests, but by the cheers
of our students when they see our red shirts or the small improvements they
make each day. Quality early childhood education is crucial for these
preschoolers and to the future of our country. I am humbled to be a part of a
nationwide corp that helps provide that.
Although I don’t plan to make a career in education,
Jumpstart is the service my community needs. President Barack Obama once
remarked “If you go out and make some
good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself
with hope.” I know my experience thus
far has filled me with hope, and I hope this next year brings more hope for me,
and for the world of preschool.
Alison Brown
Returning Corps member
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