Americorps member joins Community Service office
by Amanda Bryant, Correspondent

Meet Allison Gipp, the Americorps member assigned to VWC’s Office of Community Service. Before coming to Virginia Wesleyan, she was a resident of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she attended Winona State University and earned her associate of arts degree in May 1998.

She loves the water and taught swimming lessons before coming to VWC.

Allison became involved with Americorps through her roommate at Winona State University. The Americorps program she is involved in is sponsored by VA COOL, a non-profit service organization. Allison’s job is to get students involved in community service and to help build student leadership. She also does two to four hours of direct service a week.

Currently, Allison is helping to plan “Imagine”, an alternative spring break. The “Imagine” volunteers will be working with community service programs in Cape Charles, VA; and inner-city Washington, DC. Allison is also trying to form a Student Service Council, where the leaders of the clubs and organizations on campus can get together to plan community service efforts.

What does Allison expect to gain from this experience?

“I am already building my confidence in communicating with people,” she says. “I am also beginning to realize how important community service is in peoples’ lives.”

After her stint at Virginia Wesleyan, Gipp plans to return to college at the University of Wisconsin at Madison to study either business or counseling.