by Lydia Bickham and Jerri Whitner, Student Contributors
From a young age, Jacquelyn Crawford, a biology major at Alice Lloyd College, has possessed a servant’s heart. Jacquelyn, a member of the ALC class of 2017, continually demonstrates, through numerous activities on and off campus, her concern for the wellbeing of others and her desire to make a difference in the lives of those around her.
Jacquelyn is from Church Hill, Tennessee, where she graduated third in her class from Volunteer High School in 2013. Upon graduation, she received the Good Citizen’s Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution and was recognized as a Tennessee/Virginia Scholar. After obtaining her degree from ALC, Jacquelyn hopes to pursue a doctorate in medicine.
Passionate about being an active member of the community, Jacquelyn spends the majority of her time finding ways to serve others. With every project she undertakes, she reflects on a quote that has become her life motto, “be the change you want to see in the world.” In fact, her desire to serve is the very thing that drew Jacquelyn to Alice Lloyd College. The College’s Purpose Road Philosophy encourages all students to find fulfillment through service to others. Jacquelyn says, “When I first heard of the Purpose Road Philosophy, I knew it was the perfect school for me.”
Jacquelyn has embodied the ideology of the Purpose Road Philosophy through her philanthropic efforts. She has worked with the Hawkins County Lunch Box Program for seven years and coordinated the program for the past four years. The Hawkins County Lunch Box Program offers the free/reduced lunch, which is served during the school year, to students in the summer on school buses called Rolling Dinners. In the summer of 2016, her branch was able to serve over thirteen thousand nutritious meals to kids for absolutely no cost. In addition to her work with the Hawkins County Lunch Box Program, Jacquelyn has helped spread the Lunch Box program to two other cities, allowing more kids to benefit from the program.
Jacquelyn is heavily involved in the Miss America Organization and always encourages others with an interest in the organization to set aside doubts and “jump right in.” Last summer, Jacquelyn was crowned Miss Historic Jonesborough, and in January of 2017, she won Miss Lexington which has given her the opportunity to compete for Miss Kentucky in June of 2017. Although Jacquelyn is honored with all her awards, she uses her many titles to give back to the community. Through participating in pageants, Jacquelyn hopes, “to bring awareness to child hunger,” by telling others and coordinating programs such as the Hawkins County Lunch Box Program. Recently, Jacquelyn combined her love for science and children by teaching the students at The June Buchanan School of STEM Education. She performed experiments with the students to show them how fun science could be and to spark their interest in the field of science.
Jacquelyn performed science experiments with students at The June Buchanan School.
In addition to her volunteer work, Jacquelyn is required to participate in the ALC Student Work Program which helps pay for tuition and instills a strong work ethic in the students. Jacquelyn was selected to serve her work study requirement as a resident advisor in Carrick Dorm, where she’s been able to mentor around twenty students and help them feel at home while they are at college. Her work study allows her to be involved and puts her in charge of coordinating several events such as the homecoming court, the Miss ALC Pageant, and the Spring Formal planning. Alongside her work study, Jacquelyn also participates in several campus clubs and organizations. She is treasurer of the Voices of Appalachia, the vice president of the Impact Club, the service chair of the Student Rural Health Organization, a member of the Allied Health Club, and an ALC cheerleader.
With these many organizations, Jacquelyn has found another way to reach out to those around her. Through her work with the Allied Health Club, Jacquelyn helped deliver Christmas stockings to twenty-two students at Beaver Creek Elementary, and serving as the treasurer of the Voices of Appalachia, she helped plan the Spring 2016 California tour. Her cheerleading has also fostered her servant’s heart, chosen as a NAIA Champion of Character for the ALC cheer squad, Jacquelyn was recognized for possessing the core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. Jacquelyn’s active lifestyle further shows her passion for participating in any activity that will allow her to serve others.
From being a young girl who helped her mother give food at a food pantry to taking on new projects as an adult, Jacquelyn has always had a desire to help those in need. Jacquelyn aspires to use her degree to help others by “taking part in a medical mission team dedicated to giving free health care to those in need in the Appalachian area.” The College’s wonderful support system allows people like Jacquelyn to achieve their goals. Alice Lloyd College not only prepares its students to go out into the world but it also instills a desire to serve others and give back to the community. Jacquelyn has held this ideology for a long time, but through her involvement in numerous activities on and off campus, she has been given many opportunities to cultivate her servant’s heart and inspire others to follow the same path.