In 2013, Jenny Villegas, an American Studies and Ethnicity major at the University of Southern California, joined the Jumpstart program, committing to over 300 hours of service as a mentor and educator to a class of preschool students in South Los Angeles. Last school year, in her second year as a Corps member, Jenny received surprising news from her family-- her little brother, Daniel, who had recently enrolled as a student at the Mitchell Childhood Development Center in Santa Ana, was also going to be participating in Jumpstart that year as a preschool partner child! We sat down with Jenny to learn more about how Jumpstart has changed the Villegas family.

Tell me more about what education means to your family.
My parents are both working class, low income immigrants from Mexico. They came to the United States in search of something better for my siblings and me and have really encouraged us to try hard in school. I have always understood education as a way out of poverty - a way for my family to become successful.

How did that passion and appreciation for education factor into your decision to join Jumpstart?
I want to become a teacher and support students who, like myself, are working really hard to improve their lives, but might be denied access to resources and opportunities to achieve in school. Jumpstart was the perfect way for me to get real classroom experience and work in a community that I could identify with. I liked that Jumpstart is a full-year program that provides rigorous training for its Corps members. Corps members don’t just serve when it’s convenient. They commit to making a difference through sustained involvement in the community.

In your second year as a Corps member, you found out your little brother, Daniel, was going to be a Jumpstart partner child. How did your family react?
Even before Daniel went to preschool, my family knew how special the Jumpstart program was because I had shared everything I learned as a Corps member with them the year before. They knew about the activities in each Jumpstart session and what types of literacy and language skills Jumpstart focuses on. When my mom found out from Daniel’s teacher that the Jumpstart program would be at his school, she called me on the phone that same day, full of excitement. I was so happy Daniel was going to get extra support and attention in school. I didn’t have the chance to go to preschool, and starting school not being ready was really hard for me. My parents didn’t have the capacity to support me, so I had to work really hard to get to USC, and even though it was definitely worth it, I want Daniel’s path to be easier than mine. I knew from firsthand experience that Jumpstart children grow significantly over the course of a school year. We were all just so grateful that Daniel was going to experience this growth too.

Karma or coincidence, what do you think?
I didn’t join Jumpstart in order to “save” anyone or receive anything for my service. I think that’s part of what made me a strong Corps member. I just thought it would be a great way to get some practical teaching experience while also giving back to the community in a meaningful way. South Los Angeles and its residents remind me a lot of my home in Santa Ana. They have similar challenges, but they also have resilience, great food, rich culture, and space for transformative change. I think it’s awesome that Daniel and I could both be part of the Jumpstart program, fifty miles away from each other, experiencing two sides of the same coin. You can call it karma, if you want to!

So how have you been impacted by your Jumpstart experience?
I gained a lot of transferrable work and leadership skills. I have a better idea of how to manage a classroom and create an engaging curriculum to accommodate different learning styles. My second year with Jumpstart, I also served as the Family Engagement Coordinator. In addition to learning about teaching pedagogy as a Corps member, I was also challenged to think about ways Jumpstart can support families to read and write with their children outside of the classroom. It was a lot of responsibility, but I’ve become a more creative thinker and effective communicator because of it. Because I want to be a teacher, Jumpstart has been a perfect fit for my personal and professional development.

What about Daniel?
Honestly, you can’t even understand how much Jumpstart has made a difference. Spanish is the first language taught at home and primary language we use in my family. Daniel’s preschool classroom was also made up of mostly Spanish-speaking students and teachers. His exposure to proper English and rich vocabulary was very limited, and given the size of our family, it was hard for Daniel to get personal attention or be engaged in long conversation. We’re a big family. Daniel has eleven siblings. It’s hard for my parents to give each of their children individualized attention and to sit down with everyone to support with homework. Jumpstart really helped Daniel get that one-on-one time. Daniel’s biggest improvements are in his oral language, alphabet knowledge, and writing skills.

What’s next for the two of you?
In addition to Jumpstart, I’m active in a lot of student groups here on campus that focus on raising awareness and addressing social justice issues. I’m also looking forward to studying abroad next semester and then finishing up my degree. As for Daniel, the whole family attended his preschool “graduation” last summer. Now he’s enjoying being in kindergarten. And actually, my youngest sister, Luzelena, is now a Jumpstart student at Daniel’s old preschool!

What does Jumpstart mean to the Villegas family?
Jumpstart means opportunity.