HWS News
6 August 2024 • Alums • Service HWS Grads Serve Geneva Through AmeriCorps VISTA
Jonathan Garcia ’23, William Koepp ’23 and James Anderson ’23 conclude their AmeriCorps VISTA service in Geneva this summer.
Three dedicated Hobart and William Smith alumni have been pivotal in the launch of a Geneva High School College and Career Center as well as the opening of BluePrint Geneva's Community Kitchen, two transformative initiatives aimed at empowering the Geneva community. These efforts are part of the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) program, coordinated in partnership with Partners for Campus and Community Engagement, Finger Lakes Community College, Geneva 2030, BluePrint Geneva, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Finger Lakes Works Ontario County Workforce Development and Geneva High School.
For the past year, Jonathan Garcia ’23, William Koepp ’23 and James Anderson ’23 have used their skills and passions to make significant contributions to these projects, which support community-identified opportunities that in turn empower youth in research about post-graduate options and ensure local produce is both affordable and accessible to community members.
The Geneva High School College and Career Center is a hub designed to assist youth in accessing higher education and career resources. Garcia and Koepp developed outreach programs and workshops based on data on students' interests and skills or dreams. In partnership with GHS counselors, their efforts connected GHS students with resources to help demystify the college admission and financial aid process, and career exploration. The VISTAs continued the Career Chat effort, a monthly program that welcomes local professionals into the high school over lunch to share their career journey as well as College Chats which began this year. More than 276 GHS students attended the Career Chats and 91 students attended the College Chats.
BluePrint's Community Kitchen focuses on providing culinary education and entrepreneurship opportunities. Leveraging his academic and co-curricular commitments with HWS’ Campus Greens and Community Donation Stewards programs, Anderson played a key role in designing and implementing the Just Harvest Kitchen, a food buying cooperative, and initiating a weekend free meal service. BluePrint Geneva Director Jackie Augustine ’99, who oversaw Koepp and Anderson’s work, is grateful for their efforts.
“The work they did for the community had such a big impact in such a short period of time,” says Augustine. “I was so glad to see them receive national recognition for their work.”
FLCC Geneva Campus Director Jeanine Eckenrode, an AmeriCorps VISTA alumni, agrees. "Seeing the passion and dedication of these local graduates has been inspiring. Their work through the AmeriCorps VISTA program has created lasting positive impacts on our community," she says. Eckenrode and Augustine will continue with new AmeriCorps VISTA members who will start their first-year commitment later this summer. Koepp is applying to law school, and Garcia and Anderson will both remain in Geneva, employed by GCSD and BluePrint Geneva, respectively.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program that works to alleviate poverty through sustainable solutions. Volunteers commit to a year of service in underserved communities, working to build capacity and create opportunities for growth and development. HWS provides free housing to the VISTAs committed to the initiative.
For more information about the AmeriCorps program, contact HWS Director of Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning Katie Flowers at kflowers@hws.edu
Top: Will Koepp ’23, Elizabeth Palumbo '25 and James Anderson ’23 discuss the Sensory Garden at the State Street Public Garden. All three served the Geneva community through AmeriCorps.
