I'm doing Jumpstart because...

I am doing Jumpstart because….

I have been fortunate enough to work with young children both in and out of the classroom. I have taught them, and they have taught me.  I look forward to the opportunity to make a difference in not only one child’s life, but also in the future of our community.  Children are the future volunteers, leaders, and change-makers of our community, and by ensuring their success in life; we also ensure the success of our community.

Victoria Donnelly

I am participating in Jumpstart because I enjoy serving others. I could have found and done any internship in the Washington, D.C. area, but I am glad I am going to be a part of a wonderful program such as Jumpstart. Learning, determination, connection, joy, and kindness are the core values listed by Jumpstart: these values are not only a huge part of my life today, but they were a key aspect of growing up and my maturation. Embedding the values that Jumpstart recognizes into children at a young age will truly change their life for the better. The children Jumpstart assists and attends to did not choose to be in a low-income neighborhood. But with everyone at Jumpstart my help, the children in low-income neighborhoods will be better prepared for their future. Not only do I enjoy serving other, but I love being surrounded by children. Throughout high school, I was fortunate enough to have a surplus of volunteer opportunities. I know all of the volunteer positions I held directly or indirectly impacted and helped someone. From working in a food kitchen to helping in charity events, the volunteer positions that had the largest impact on my life have all been helping children in some way. I cannot wait to start with the Jumpstart program this fall. The class of 2026 needs help, and I am more than ready to help!

~Sydney Weis

 

 Jumpstart stood out to me because it focuses on child development and the importance of learning at such a young age. Children retain the most information when they are young and learning about the world, which is why Jumpstart makes such an impact on the communities it gets involved with. The program interests me because it gives me a chance to give back to the community around me. I love spending time with kids and teaching people new things.

When choosing where to focus my service I chose a homeless institution because I thought that that was the place where I could make the biggest difference. I can’t imagine what these children and families have to go through but I would like to help in any way possible. I hope that with jumpstart we can brighten these children’s days by teaching them new things.  Knowledge is a powerful thing that is empowering, exciting, and at times scary. I am very excited to give children the gift of knowledge and the enticing emotions that come along with it. These children deserve to believe that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up and we are giving them the beginning steps that they need to start that journey.
~Loren Grier

I am doing jumpstart because I have an interest in community development and work around curriculum/program drafting.  Working with Jumpstart gives me the opportunity to work on a program that truly makes an impact on children. I am hoping to establish a connection with these students and see their progress throughout the school year. This will be an interesting shift for me since I have had experience in the past with an adolescent age group and now focusing on early childhood development. It would give me great satisfaction to be a mentor for the children. I really want to be a role model for them and want them to be successful not only in academics but also build life skills as well. I am passionate about the power of education and an advocate for global compulsory primary education. I am really intrigued by the Jumpstart system and how it operates on a programmatic level. I would like to see what steps are taken to implement a curriculum and how it is utilized in schools across the United States. I have heard good things about this program from friends who have previously been involved. I hope that this experience will not only help me with my career aspirations in education but also help the children who are part of this program succeed in the future. I hope to continuing working with youth on the national and international levels. 

~Erasmo Mendez

I am passionate about giving all people an equal opportunity to do anything they may want to do in the future. As it stands people do not all have the same opportunities to grow and learn, and that injustice is creating tension in our society. As a member of the Kid Power community last year, the tension became obvious as my 5^th and 6^th graders considered terminating their educational careers due to challenges in the class room. Even at the young age of twelve and thirteen, the students that I aided were already being left behind as the neighboring schools zoomed past them in all testing scores. Because of low test scores, funding was cut and the school was shut down. It is obvious that our efforts to help are necessary, but with programs like jumpstart I believe we can make a much more substantial impact on the lives of students by creative that equal opportunity from the very beginning.

Franny Valour

I am doing Jumpstart because...

I am doing Jumpstart because I think it is a great opportunity to lend a helping hand. Knowing that I was going to do work study, I wanted to shy away from jobs where you just sit behind a desk in a library or work on a computer. My goal was to have my time benefit people and not just myself. Jumpstart is such a good hands on experience where, hopefully, I will learn from others, but make a positive impact on them as well.

~Hannah Nelson
Corps member

I am doing Jumpstart because I believe that every student can succeed and that this universal success is most achievable through school equity, collaboration, and commitment to a whole-child education. Based on last year’s success, I know that Jumpstart will continue to provide me with the unique opportunity of helping to contribute to the movement of equal education opportunity and student success. I look forward to another great year!

~Grant Conway

 Returning Corps member

I am doing Jumpstart because...

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