JENNIFER GRAHAM STEPHENS

Jenna volunteers on the GC&SU Campus through the Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project is a visual display of t-shirts with graphic messages and illustrations that have been designed by women survivors of violence, by their friends or families. The Clothesline may also contain t-shirts made to honor women who have died as a result of violence. The purpose of this project is to increase awareness of the impact of violence against women, to celebrate a woman’s strength to survive, and to provide another avenue for her to courageously break the silence.

From her work with the Clothesline Project to her passion to want to help women Jenna has helped to develop a pilot program called Woman’s Resource Center on the GC&SU Campus. Jenna Worked hard to meet with the correct people to help make her dream a reality. She met with faculty and staff along with members of the Upper Administration of the college as well as the university’s president, Dr. Dorothy Leland. This past January, Jenna’s dream came true and the GC&SU Women’s Resource Center was opened. Jenna is currently working on a shoestring budget and working in the center 30 hours a week as part of an internship. Jenna is solely the staff of this office along with student volunteers and with the guidance of professional staff members. Jenna is hoping to get the numbers up of women that use the center and their programming numbers up so that hopefully a full time Women’s Resource Center director can be hired.

Jenna represents her program well; she also attends leadership workshops and meetings so that she can become the best student coordinator she can be and to make herself a better leader. The clothesline Project has received the student coordinated program of the year from The GIVE Center as well as Jenna has received the Student Coordinator of the month and semester awards from The GIVE Center. This April during volunteer appreciation month Jenna, the Clothesline Project and the Women’s Resource Center will be named volunteers of the day.