Ashley Pettway '13
"The William & Mary [Sharpe] program was my home while at the College. I have always loved service but W&M helped me see service learning as an academic discipline. I learned to collect and evaluate data, to write and win grants, and to create and sustain partnerships in the community studies program. In essence, I learned to be an effective agent of social change. This process of critical thinking, engagement, and reflection have served me well both professionally and personally.
"My undergraduate research centered around creating an effective family literacy program to increase early literacy skills among children living in low-income communities. My research resulted in the creation of a family literacy program at the Williamsburg-James City County Head Start and the creation of a partnership between the William & Mary and the Head Start. The program donated hundreds of books for children to take home and a laptop for the parents to use while at the Head Start.
"After graduating from the College, I earned my Masters of Science in Counseling at Johns Hopkins University and served in some of the most challenging neighborhoods in Baltimore. I currently serve as an Admission Counselor and Advisor at a Quaker Co-educational boarding school north of Philadelphia. I plan to apply what I have learned here as a 2015 Teach for America Corps Member teaching Special Education." - Ashley Pettway '13
