Name: Jennifer Woods
Company: Ascension Seton
Role: Project SEARCH Coordinator

 

1. 1. 1. What brought you to Austin and how long have you been here?
         After graduating from college, I knew I wanted to do a year of service with Americorps. The program that I got accepted into was here in Austin working in a local elementary school, tutoring students in reading. Five years later and I’m still here!
      2. How did you get connected to AYC?
         Ascension Seton is a corporate sponsor, so I was able to go to a few events. After attending the first LEAD summit in 2018, I knew that I wanted to get more involved with AYC.
      3. What are you involved with in AYC AND what is your favorite part of AYC?
         I am the Chair-Elect for the FAVE Committee. I also attend as many events as I can. My favorite part of AYC is the wide variety of professional development and networking opportunities. I am always impressed by the robust offerings and I always meet someone new!
      4. Where can we find you brunching in Austin on any given Saturday?
         Red River Cafe! It’s a hole-in-the-wall, diner-type place, but it’s breakfast/brunch menu is extensive and it’s always good.
      5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and what would you use it for?
         My superpower would be the ability to teleport. Between Austin’s traffic and the amount of driving I have to do for both work and my outside-of-work meetings, I spend a lot of time in my car. I’d save so much time if I could just snap and go from one place to the next.
      6. If you could have any celebrity live next door to you, who would it be?
         Ellen Degeneres for sure. She’s amazingly funny, social, and charitable. I would love to be able to just have a drink with her and Portia at the end of the week.
      7. If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them to show them a good time?
         The Hike and Bike Trail or Stand-up paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake. I think both of those activities provide a really great view of the city. Also, the Hike and Bike Trail allows you to quickly access lots of cool spots throughout downtown.
      8. If you played hooky for a day, where would we find you and what would you be doing?
         On the Greenbelt with my two dogs, Darwin & Mara. We’d probably be swimming or sniffing trees (the dogs on that last one, not me).
      9. When people ask you what you do for a living, what do you tell them?
         I tell them that I run an internship for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
      10. What technology could you not live without?
          My phone! With all the traveling that I do for work, I would be literally and figuratively lost without it.
      11. Who inspires you?
          My grandma inspires me. From escaping Nazi-occupied France as a young girl to raising 14 children mostly independently, to starting and running a homeless shelter, she is the strongest, most selfless person I know.
      12. What is your proudest accomplishment?
          … this??? Besides this, I won a playwriting contest in high school and got to see my play performed by real actors. That was pretty cool.
      13. If you couldn’t live in Austin, where would you want to live?
          Boston, MA probably. I really enjoy the history that’s embedded in that city and the public transportation!
      14. I want to learn how to…?
          Use American Sign Language!
      15. Pick:
          Soup or Salad? Salad
          Indoors or Outdoors? Outdoors
          Winter or Summer? Winter
          Tea or Coffee? Tea
          Mountains or Beach? Mountains
          
      16. Favorite Drink?
          Apple Juice! … or Chardonnay if I was supposed to give my favorite adult drink.