Sarah, Ngoc-Hien and Mary have been friends since they began working with Jumpstart as freshmen, four years ago. While all three started out as Corps members, they each became Team Leaders their sophomore year and bonded during the September Leadership Institute at Disneyland and throughout the year. They have worked with Jumpstart in multiple capacities over four years, and live together this year while continuing as Team Leaders.

Each had their own reasons for volunteering with Jumpstart. Mary loves working with kids and enjoys the classroom experience. Sarah wanted to be a teacher, thought that Jumpstart would be a good experience and loved working with a partner child. For Ngoc-Hien, the people she has met and the close friendships she has made through Jumpstart have inspired her to continue volunteering. She feels that Jumpstart gave her opportunities to expand and broaden her leadership skills. All three say they enjoy working with a diverse group of people - kids and adults alike.

Ngoc-Hien and Mary are majoring in Early Childhood and Family Studies and will graduate this Spring. Sarah graduated at the end of Winter Quarter with a degree in Psychology, but continues to volunteer with Jumpstart. All three will leave a legacy of service, dedication to young children, and a commitment to quality education when they leave the UW campus.

"Going to session was like therapy for me after a long day of chemistry."

My story:

I don't mean to come off too strong, but before delving into this testimonial, ask yourself whether your heart is into children, education, or just serving the community. If your answer is none of the above, you might be better off finding a job at a cafe.

Believe it or not, the beginning of my two-year Jumpstart experience started with those program emails that inundate freshman. What originally caught my eye was the $1000 scholarship given at the end of the year. To me, doing Jumpstart was one less scholarship I had to apply for. Much to my chagrin, I found that in order to receive the scholarship, I was required to serve 300 hours. This felt daunting at first, but I always found community service to be second nature, so I took a chance.

Within a month, I knew that my choice paid dividends. I learned that Jumpstart had its own “community”. As corny as it sounds, once I put on that red shirt I felt part of one large, extended family. This made the big university feel more manageable. I made plenty of friendships with my fellow Corps members, most of whom I would never have met in my science classes. Many Corps members have a beautiful outlook on life; they are selfless, optimistic, and equipped with big hearts. I enjoyed being around my teammates, which enabled me to reach 300 hours easily.

Apart from the Corps members, I made many friendships with the children themselves. I loved each and every one of those kids and I'd like to think the feeling was mutual. Going to session was like therapy for me after a long day of chemistry. To see the kid’s smiles, despite any problems the child might be experiencing outside the preschool, is priceless. Seeing the kid’s progress throughout the year pushed me to put more effort into the program. But don't expect every child to make amazing progress. In fact, during my second year as a Team Leader, I beat myself up because I envisioned all the kids easily understanding the concept of rhyming. That didn't end up happening, but, as one Team Leader told me, I wouldn’t have taken the job if the task were easy.

Regardless if you are able to see the results you aspired to reach, in the grand scheme of things you have made an impact on the child's life simply by being there. Joining Jumpstart has allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself and to know that I helped shape a child's life gives me goose bumps. This is why I did what I did.

"I would walk into my preschool classroom having the worst day after taking an exam, but after being with the kids, my day was brightened every single time."

When I first joined Jumpstart I did not expect to have gained so many friends, life lessons, and memorable experiences. I entered the University of Washington fresh out of high school- scared and nervous. Classes were huge and I got lost everywhere I went. I joined programs and clubs to try and make my transition into college easier and I can definitely say that Jumpstart was the program that helped me the most.

I would walk into my preschool classroom having the worst day after taking an exam, but after being with the kids, my day was brightened every single time. Right when you step foot in the door you are bombarded with hugs and smiles from all of the kids. I felt just being in the classroom was making a difference for most of the kids. We were there to lend an extra hand to help the kids learn their alphabet, write their names, and learn simple daily etiquette. The kids looked forward to the days we came and loved all of the songs, activities, and games we brought to the classroom. It was the most rewarding when you saw all of the kids getting along and participating in activities or songs. Being in the same classroom for the entire year, you get to know each and every child’s personality, their families, and the staff at the preschool. I was excited to come to the preschool every week because I knew I would leave with a smile on my face and a positive outlook. I could walk in feeling stressed out and walk out feeling like a load was lifted off my shoulders.

I have gained many friends with the people on my team and others involved in Jumpstart. Jumpstart made me feel like I was making a difference, helped me find my passion for working with children, and made my transition into college a lot easier. I was able to meet new people on campus as well as get involved in my community. I hope that Jumpstart can make as much of a difference in someone else’s life as it did in mine.