Welcome to our VISTA Spotlight Series! Each month we spotlight one of our AmeriCorps VISTA Members and the incredible service they do. Our members and their host sites are at the core of our program and we are enthusiastic to share the great things they do in their communities.
This month we have the pleasure of highlighting Jake Bruce. Hailing from Trinity University with a degree in English, Jake was inspired to pursue a year of service with Afterschool Corps due to his passion for education and youth literacy. Jake’s service site is located at Warren Wilson, one of 10 federally recognized work colleges in the nation – meaning all students work on campus as part of their education. Jake really enjoys living in the mountains and gaining work experience at Warren Wilson during his year of service.
An average week for Jake might look like training program volunteers, arranging workshops with faculty, engaging community partners with his supervisor, and answering lots of emails. Jake works with Warren Wilson students who volunteer weekly through community partners in areas of food justice, youth and education, and disaster relief following the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene. These volunteers work with local non-profits and public schools in the greater Asheville area. A few include: W.D. Williams Elementary, Estes Elementary, Grassroots Aid Partnership, BelovedAsheville, and several local community gardens.
Jake has been busy preparing Warren Wilson students to teach environmental science in 3rd grade classrooms. His program includes education training and workshops, curriculum planning, and marketing. Jake is also a strong advocate for youth literacy, so he’s collaborated with local non-profit LiteracyTogether to develop an internship for Wilson students to tutor students in reading and writing at elementary schools. When he has free time, Jake also spends time at the Warren Wilson writing center to improve its metrics and appeal for students at the college.
At the halfway point of his service year, Jake is the proudest of his community’s response to Hurricane Helene. Jake has been working with his team to compile volunteer opportunities to share with the Warren Wilson community in the wake of the destruction. Says Jake, “It really was a communal effort to be there for each other, physically and emotionally. It was a hard few months, and the effects are ever-present, but it was also beautiful to see how the community came together, on campus and off. I’d say I’ve certainly grown professionally. As part of community engagement, I feel like the work my team and I do is very central to the college’s mission, considering we are a work college. There is also a level of spontaneity that comes with working at a college that can be both a gift and a curse but is ultimately rewarding at the end of the day when you see student’s education, curiosity, and identities thrive.”
Read more about Warren Wilson Community Engagement here.
This blog was written by Alice Chesley-Akhtar with information and support from Jake Bruce.