Paying It Forward
Jessica RUFFIN '00 wasn’t always sure where her career would take her, but she was sure of one thing: she wanted to help people.
In 2018, 杰西卡被阿勒格尼县人类服务部(ACDHS)招募，成立了公平与包容办公室. Fueled by her passion to be a force for change, 她致力于提升资源不足的社区，重塑系统，使各种背景的人都能获得成功. COVID-19大流行揭示了为县居民服务的系统中更深层次的差异, igniting more urgency in Jessica’s work than ever before. Every day, 杰西卡拥有多年来在许多机构培养的使命感, including The Ellis School. 她说，在她的学校环境中提倡的原则激励她成为匹兹堡社区的变革者.
Her Path to Success
How Her Work Cultivates a Positive Community
作为公平与参与办公室副主任，杰西卡的职责是多种多样的, but at its core, 她的职责是确保部门提供的服务是无障碍的，并符合文化. "We are charged with serving our county’s most vulnerable populations, and often during times of crises. 我们有责任帮助人们度过这些脆弱的时期，同时尽我们所能防止未来发生这些危机，使儿童和青年更安全、更健康地成长, and adults can live more securely and independently.”
At the height of the pandemic, she and her team partnered with leaders who serve Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, refugee, and immigrant communities to ensure that the COVID-19 mitigation strategies, available resources (i.e. technology, food, etc.), and later immunization information, 是否响应了社区需求，并由值得信赖的社区倡导者在平台上以社区所需的语言交付. In addition to equity work, Jessica leads marketing and community engagement efforts for ACDHS, 注重促进社区成员和地方政府之间的信任和合作.
When it comes to cultivating a positive community, 杰西卡说，她为自己和她的团队设定的指导原则是诚信行事——坚持我们为社区服务的承诺，并以我们建立的信任负责任地行事. It is hard to gain trust back once it is lost.
"It’s not about us, or anything we can gain; it’s about filling a community need, and we all have a role in this, we have to play our position,” she said. "The pandemic is a powerful example of what building community can look like. 我为自己是匹兹堡人而感到骄傲的一件事是，当危机发生时，这种自然的仁慈发挥了作用. Neighbors didn’t just bake bread, they left loaves on their neighbors’ porches. 社区聚集在一起，其中一位家长可以在虚拟学习环境中帮助支持孩子, while other parents worked. Organizations, like churches and schools, developed programming to make sure children and seniors had access to food, the internet, and trusted adults. Cultivating a positive community is all about seeking and embracing opportunities to help.”
In addition to providing direct service, 杰西卡说，她努力培养一个积极社区的另一个关键方法是利用她的领导地位和影响力. 她不仅通过在ACDHS的工作，还通过志愿者和董事会服务实现了这一目标.
"I only serve on two boards and they are very meaningful to me,” she shared. "One, Hilltop Alliance, 支持我所在社区的发展——因为我们家现在有三代人都是在我祖父母移民后在贝尔茨祖沃长大的, Thomas, Sr. & Juanita Ruffin, and John & Sarah Reed in the 1960s. 我觉得我和那个社区有很深的联系，我很自豪，并致力于支持和维护我的家庭的这种联系. The other is the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE), a capacity-building agency for nonprofits, most of which are small to mid-sized, and are led by or serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). I feel helpful in these spaces because of my personal guiding principles and my profession. When identifying your sphere of impact, I think you just have to be thoughtful about how and where is best for you to show up, and build personal connections in advance, if you can.”
Her Advice to Community Leaders
Back
Her Path to Success
Jessica’s excitement for her work is so palpable, one would never guess her path to this role was unplanned. "When I started my undergraduate journey at the University of Pittsburgh, I struggled to find my way,” she said. “I thought I would go into sports medicine but quickly realized it wasn’t for me, so I focused on completing my required core courses. By my second or third year, I still couldn’t figure out what to do.”
While attending classes, Jessica began working in early childhood education with toddlers, and later, infants—an early step on the road to her calling. “在幼儿班工作太棒了，所以我退学全职工作,” she shared. "Part of my job was writing updates for parents about their child’s development. One day, 我给一个孩子写了一封，他的母亲是皮特教育学院的教员，她读了之后说, 'What are you doing? We love you as a teacher, but we know you can do more.’ She wasn’t telling me more than what my family was at the time, 但正是那次经历让我意识到，我确实有很强的人际关系建立和沟通技巧，这在帮助别人的工作中可能会有好处.”
Newly inspired, Jessica went back to Pitt and graduated in 2006 with a degree in urban studies, 在她的职业生涯中，每一个新的角色都会让她越来越多地与匹兹堡地区的社区联系在一起，并对其进行投资. She completed a year in AmeriCorps helping women start their own businesses, supported children with incarcerated parents with Amachi Pittsburgh, trained and coached emerging leaders through her work with Public Allies/Coro Pittsburgh, 并通过担任卡洛大学社会正义研究所的首任主任，帮助支持以社区为基础的研究. 所有这些角色都激发了她的热情，不仅仅是帮助人们制定战略，为社会正义而努力.
"I became frustrated by how systems worked against people,” Jessica explained. "For example, it’s fine to provide mentors to children with incarcerated parents, 但我们如何解决他们的父母被监禁并与家人分离的原因呢, and why these families were disproportionately families of color, particularly Black families? The government has played a central role in the racial inequities that we observe today. 除非有意采取干预措施来解决这些问题，否则这些不平等将继续存在下去.”
"Government plays an important role in achieving social justice, so I went to work for the government. Helping people think critically about the structures at play against people, is what I strive for every day. When we eliminate barriers and create systems that work for ALL people, we all win.”
杰西卡说，她在澳门新葡新京官方的多元化经历为这种批判性思维奠定了基础. “我上的是历史悠久的希尔区(Hill District)一所黑人为主的小学和中学. Then I came to Ellis, a school with people of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 第一次接触点燃了我的好奇心和欲望，想要更好地了解我们的社会是如何运作的，为什么有些人有很好的渠道，而有些人却没有. From my upbringing, I knew that it took more than hard work to gain access. 我从同学那里学到了很多东西，能和他们一起学习，我感到很幸运. That said, it wasn’t the easiest experience, so I’ve always had a mind to pay back and explore ways in which diverse environments, like the one I experienced at Ellis, could embrace difference, while at the same time fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging.”
While attending classes, Jessica began working in early childhood education with toddlers, and later, infants—an early step on the road to her calling. “在幼儿班工作太棒了，所以我退学全职工作,” she shared. "Part of my job was writing updates for parents about their child’s development. One day, 我给一个孩子写了一封，他的母亲是皮特教育学院的教员，她读了之后说, 'What are you doing? We love you as a teacher, but we know you can do more.’ She wasn’t telling me more than what my family was at the time, 但正是那次经历让我意识到，我确实有很强的人际关系建立和沟通技巧，这在帮助别人的工作中可能会有好处.”
Newly inspired, Jessica went back to Pitt and graduated in 2006 with a degree in urban studies, 在她的职业生涯中，每一个新的角色都会让她越来越多地与匹兹堡地区的社区联系在一起，并对其进行投资. She completed a year in AmeriCorps helping women start their own businesses, supported children with incarcerated parents with Amachi Pittsburgh, trained and coached emerging leaders through her work with Public Allies/Coro Pittsburgh, 并通过担任卡洛大学社会正义研究所的首任主任，帮助支持以社区为基础的研究. 所有这些角色都激发了她的热情，不仅仅是帮助人们制定战略，为社会正义而努力.
"I became frustrated by how systems worked against people,” Jessica explained. "For example, it’s fine to provide mentors to children with incarcerated parents, 但我们如何解决他们的父母被监禁并与家人分离的原因呢, and why these families were disproportionately families of color, particularly Black families? The government has played a central role in the racial inequities that we observe today. 除非有意采取干预措施来解决这些问题，否则这些不平等将继续存在下去.”
"Government plays an important role in achieving social justice, so I went to work for the government. Helping people think critically about the structures at play against people, is what I strive for every day. When we eliminate barriers and create systems that work for ALL people, we all win.”
杰西卡说，她在澳门新葡新京官方的多元化经历为这种批判性思维奠定了基础. “我上的是历史悠久的希尔区(Hill District)一所黑人为主的小学和中学. Then I came to Ellis, a school with people of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 第一次接触点燃了我的好奇心和欲望，想要更好地了解我们的社会是如何运作的，为什么有些人有很好的渠道，而有些人却没有. From my upbringing, I knew that it took more than hard work to gain access. 我从同学那里学到了很多东西，能和他们一起学习，我感到很幸运. That said, it wasn’t the easiest experience, so I’ve always had a mind to pay back and explore ways in which diverse environments, like the one I experienced at Ellis, could embrace difference, while at the same time fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging.”
How Her Work Cultivates a Positive Community
作为公平与参与办公室副主任，杰西卡的职责是多种多样的, but at its core, 她的职责是确保部门提供的服务是无障碍的，并符合文化. "We are charged with serving our county’s most vulnerable populations, and often during times of crises. 我们有责任帮助人们度过这些脆弱的时期，同时尽我们所能防止未来发生这些危机，使儿童和青年更安全、更健康地成长, and adults can live more securely and independently.”
At the height of the pandemic, she and her team partnered with leaders who serve Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, refugee, and immigrant communities to ensure that the COVID-19 mitigation strategies, available resources (i.e. technology, food, etc.), and later immunization information, 是否响应了社区需求，并由值得信赖的社区倡导者在平台上以社区所需的语言交付. In addition to equity work, Jessica leads marketing and community engagement efforts for ACDHS, 注重促进社区成员和地方政府之间的信任和合作.
When it comes to cultivating a positive community, 杰西卡说，她为自己和她的团队设定的指导原则是诚信行事——坚持我们为社区服务的承诺，并以我们建立的信任负责任地行事. It is hard to gain trust back once it is lost.
"It’s not about us, or anything we can gain; it’s about filling a community need, and we all have a role in this, we have to play our position,” she said. "The pandemic is a powerful example of what building community can look like. 我为自己是匹兹堡人而感到骄傲的一件事是，当危机发生时，这种自然的仁慈发挥了作用. Neighbors didn’t just bake bread, they left loaves on their neighbors’ porches. 社区聚集在一起，其中一位家长可以在虚拟学习环境中帮助支持孩子, while other parents worked. Organizations, like churches and schools, developed programming to make sure children and seniors had access to food, the internet, and trusted adults. Cultivating a positive community is all about seeking and embracing opportunities to help.”
In addition to providing direct service, 杰西卡说，她努力培养一个积极社区的另一个关键方法是利用她的领导地位和影响力. 她不仅通过在ACDHS的工作，还通过志愿者和董事会服务实现了这一目标.
"I only serve on two boards and they are very meaningful to me,” she shared. "One, Hilltop Alliance, 支持我所在社区的发展——因为我们家现在有三代人都是在我祖父母移民后在贝尔茨祖沃长大的, Thomas, Sr. & Juanita Ruffin, and John & Sarah Reed in the 1960s. 我觉得我和那个社区有很深的联系，我很自豪，并致力于支持和维护我的家庭的这种联系. The other is the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE), a capacity-building agency for nonprofits, most of which are small to mid-sized, and are led by or serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). I feel helpful in these spaces because of my personal guiding principles and my profession. When identifying your sphere of impact, I think you just have to be thoughtful about how and where is best for you to show up, and build personal connections in advance, if you can.”
Her Advice to Community Leaders
杰西卡用一句永恒的格言总结了成功的关键——尤其是在政府服务行业.
"Believe in yourself,” she said. "It sounds cliche, but you'll encounter many challenges and barriers. Some will emerge unexpectedly, and some will be caused by decisions you’ve made. Don’t be discouraged, these are the best opportunities to learn. To succeed, you need to navigate those challenges, and the only way to do that is to trust and believe in yourself, and know that you have a lot to offer this world.” Jessica also added, "Even if you're perfect with no opportunities for growth, at the very minimum, don’t forget to vote! Being an informed voter is an act of resistance. Although chaotic and disheartening at times, don’t drown the world out. Please be critical of the information you take in. The facts will make themselves known, you just have to have enough integrity to check them.”
澳门新葡新京官方大学课程的多样性是杰西卡相信自己、对自己负责的基础, even though she said she did not fully realize it during her time there. As an adult, she recognized that the Ellis faculty are experts in their field, an experience that most students don’t get until college. 在她很小的时候，他们向她介绍了她可能没有探索过的经历和想法.
"Believe in yourself,” she said. "It sounds cliche, but you'll encounter many challenges and barriers. Some will emerge unexpectedly, and some will be caused by decisions you’ve made. Don’t be discouraged, these are the best opportunities to learn. To succeed, you need to navigate those challenges, and the only way to do that is to trust and believe in yourself, and know that you have a lot to offer this world.” Jessica also added, "Even if you're perfect with no opportunities for growth, at the very minimum, don’t forget to vote! Being an informed voter is an act of resistance. Although chaotic and disheartening at times, don’t drown the world out. Please be critical of the information you take in. The facts will make themselves known, you just have to have enough integrity to check them.”
澳门新葡新京官方大学课程的多样性是杰西卡相信自己、对自己负责的基础, even though she said she did not fully realize it during her time there. As an adult, she recognized that the Ellis faculty are experts in their field, an experience that most students don’t get until college. 在她很小的时候，他们向她介绍了她可能没有探索过的经历和想法.
"I remember being in English class and we were reading parts of the Bible. 作为一名基督徒，我从未见过圣经被当作文学作品呈现，”她回忆道. "I remember going into that course thinking, 'Oh, I’ve got this.’ But then [the teacher (Dr. Free)] pushed me to analyze the text in a completely different way. 她鼓励我不要简单地从表面上看人们对一个主题的看法，而是要批判性地分析这些主题. This has helped me both personally and spiritually.”
Her drive to be of service to others also has foundational roots in The Ellis School. She caught the 'service bug,’ as she called it, 在为期两周的迷你课程中，她和几个同学的任务是确定如何为位于西奥克兰的“角落”社区发展组织提供服务. Experiences like this taught her valuable lessons about how to lead a team, how to execute the logistics of a service project, and the importance of showing up to make a difference.
Among the many benefits that Ellis offered her, Jessica said she is especially grateful for enduring friendships. "Some of my schoolmates represent the best people in the world to me,” she said. "They’re brilliant changemakers in the journeys that they’ve chosen. They’ve been there for me at the most critical parts of my life. They show up at unexpected times to encourage and remind me that we’ve got each other. Even though we live in all parts of the country and the world, and we don’t see each other every day, when we reconnect, it’s like no time has passed. We support and look out for one another, and I’m forever grateful to Ellis for that.”
Her drive to be of service to others also has foundational roots in The Ellis School. She caught the 'service bug,’ as she called it, 在为期两周的迷你课程中，她和几个同学的任务是确定如何为位于西奥克兰的“角落”社区发展组织提供服务. Experiences like this taught her valuable lessons about how to lead a team, how to execute the logistics of a service project, and the importance of showing up to make a difference.
Among the many benefits that Ellis offered her, Jessica said she is especially grateful for enduring friendships. "Some of my schoolmates represent the best people in the world to me,” she said. "They’re brilliant changemakers in the journeys that they’ve chosen. They’ve been there for me at the most critical parts of my life. They show up at unexpected times to encourage and remind me that we’ve got each other. Even though we live in all parts of the country and the world, and we don’t see each other every day, when we reconnect, it’s like no time has passed. We support and look out for one another, and I’m forever grateful to Ellis for that.”
Envision Her at Ellis
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