I had the privilege of interviewing a remarkable lady this past week. She has such a big heart and an amazing personality. I was truly inspired by her words and her empathy towards other people.
Jacey Bishop is a sophomore here at KU studying Social Welfare. One of her favorite things to do is to sing. She told me this cute story about how the first song she learned was “American Pie” by Don McLean and how she would sing that song over and over before she even knew how to form complete sentences.
“Currently, I’m involved in She’s the First, an organization dedicated to raising money to send young women around the world to further their education. I’m a member of Student Senate and currently running with the Advance KU Coalition to be the representative of the School of Social Welfare, and of course I’m a writer for Her Campus while also serving as the Development Director on the executive board. Though it’s not an on-campus organization, I’m also a Volunteer Advocate at the Willow Domestic Violence Center, putting in about ten hours a week at their shelter.”
When I asked Jacey why she joined all of these wonderful organizations, she responded with
“It started with Her Campus KU. I was just walking on Wescoe Beach one day last September and some girl shoved a flyer at me, and for once I actually happened to read it before I threw it away like usual. When I saw they were hiring writers, I immediately applied! I’ve always had a passion for writing, and hope to become an author one day. Her Campus is an amazing outlet for aspiring writers, and it gave me the umph I needed to really get involved on campus. After that, I joined She’s the First, started working with the Willow, and now Student Senate. It’s opened me up to so many new opportunities and friendships, and I couldn’t be more grateful!”
This just shows the impact of reading handouts that are given to you can promote something good and not something annoying.
I went on to ask her a little bit about her life and who her role model was, and what she would say not only to her 16-year old self, but to people who are struggling with their identity and what their life is becoming. She responded with saying that her step father was her role model and that “he is the example of everything I hope to be in a person. Patient, wise, caring beyond belief, and so giving. If I could be even a quarter of the person he is, I’d be the best version of myself I can imagine. He reminds me of a character from my favorite book of all time, Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He always knows what to say, when to say it, and teaches me a lesson along the way.”
She would tell herself you will get out of this town and you will be so happy. She wouldn’t be stuck in Western Kansas forever and so many opportunities would open up for her. She’s studying abroad in Ireland this summer for the Social Welfare program, and she was even given a scholarship. She told me that she wants people to know that, “ it gets better.” Because it really does get better. She is living the best life right now, and even though she has dark days (which everyone goes through) that life is so much better. You don’t have to feel alone or stuck in the world because something better is coming.
When I asked her what she was most passionate about she said,
“As an advocate at the Willow and having personal experience growing up with domestic violence, I would have to say that’s one of my biggest passions. I want to dedicate my life to helping survivors in any way that I can, because I’ve witnessed the difficult journey first hand with my mother. You are not alone, there will always be a way out, even if you can’t see one. Organizations like the Willow are incredible because they help women with nowhere else to turn, giving them a safe place and a chance to start over. I am so incredibly proud to work for such a special organization, and my passion for it grows every day.”
My final question for her was what impact she wanted to make on this world. She replied that she hopes if she can help someone in a dark time in their life see the light, then that’s all she could ask for. She just want to use the experiences she has dealt with first hand to help people.
She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, and I know that she’ll inspire people the rest of her life with her kindness and willingness to help others.