7 minute read
BUILDING CONNECTION
PARENTS GIVING BACK AND BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS
“I cannot believe our time as current Wesleyan parents is coming to an end,” reflects STEPHANIE WASHINGTON, mom to Imani Washington ’22 and Jalen Hodges ’16. “We have been tied to this community for ten years, and it has truly been a humbling experience to serve in the community that has given our family so much.
“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve in a wide range of ways, and each of them have enriched our family’s time at Wesleyan,” recalls Washington. “From volunteering as a greeter at admissions open houses to serving as the team mom for the varsity girls basketball team to chairing the parent diversity council, I jumped at a lot of ways to get plugged in.
“Working alongside other moms and dads gave us a wonderful foundation of friendships that I know will be a part of our lives well beyond graduation this spring.”
Like many Wesleyan parents, Washington has found volunteering on campus as not only a way to get to know the community, but also a path to building friendships that will last for many years beyond their time on campus.
Once a student enrolls at Wesleyan, parents often begin to look for ways to be involved on campus. As a K-12 community, one benefit is the chance to do life alongside the same families for many years. And like with most things in life, involvement and depth of friendship requires intentionality. Wesleyan offers a wide range of ways for parents to get involved on campus. From attending Fill the Gill – football season tailgates on campus – or joining parent Bible studies, to serving on various committees or volunteering with extracurriculars, the parent community is loaded with opportunities.
Social events like Fill the Gill and the Wolf Trackers Kick-Off Dinner are a great avenue for families to meet and enjoy fellowship. Attending on-campus theater performances and athletic games, meets, and matches also provide an easy way for parents to get to know the Wesleyan community in the evenings and on the weekends.
Volunteering on campus is not only a way to get know the community, but also a path to building friendships that will last for many years beyond the family’s time on campus.
Fill the Gill 2021 Boys tennis team parents
Wolf Trackers kick off dinner 2021
In recent years, Wesleyan has offered several parent Bible study options for parents seeking a small group connection with other parents.
A men’s prayer group meets on Monday mornings on the court in Yancey Gymnasium. “We meet for about 45 minutes before we all need to head to work,” says LAND BRIDGERS, Wesleyan dad and chair of the Board of Trustees. “We pray for Wesleyan, the faculty, families in our community, and our students.”
While the group has remained small for now, they are unified in their commitment. “We know prayer works,” Bridgers goes on to say. “Often we pray for specific things in our campus community, and it has been a beautiful experience praying alongside other men who love our school.”
For parents looking to get involved in conjunction with their child’s extracurricular activities, most athletics and arts activities have various ways for parents to volunteer. KARA REDING, mom to Shannon Reding ’29 and Allison Reding ’25, finds working with the middle and high school theater programs to be a way to work alongside her daughters and other parents with children in theater.
Reding now chairs the hair and makeup committee for the Wolf Jr. Players, Wesleyan’s middle school theater program. This brave team of parent volunteers works backstage during dress rehearsals and performances to help with hair, wigs, and makeup for the actors in the shows.
“There is just nothing in the world like getting to volunteer backstage,” says Reding. “That’s where the magic happens. As students are preparing to go onstage you really get to know them. Their nerves can manifest either in subdued silence or manic energy. Either way, it makes applying eyeliner to a middle schooler feel more like playing Operation during an earthquake!
“But I love that electrifying moment when they see themselves for the first time fully transformed into their character. Working with other parents in that environment, helping students transform into character, and troubleshooting an inevitable costume malfunction or wig problem really builds a sense of camaraderie among that team of parent volunteers.
“Theater creates a family, and the backstage parents are included in this as well,” Reding continues. “During show week, we work together, we depend on each other, and at the end of the day, we create a team that is greater than the sum of our parts.”
A new addition to that team this year has been new
KARA REDING, MOM TO SHANNON REDING ‘29 AND ALLISON REDING ‘25
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
SIGNUPGENIUS
On your division resource board in Blackbaud, click the tile for SignUpGenius to view all open volunteer opportunities. The 22-23 SignUpGenius will go live after the school year starts in August.
WESLEYAN WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parent Bible studies, prayer groups, and more are announced in the weekly email sent to current parents.
EXTRACURRICULARS
For students in middle and high school, Wesleyan’s extracurricular programs rely on the support of parent volunteers for various needs. From stage makeup to bringing snacks for game days, most coaches, directors, and activity sponsors communicate opportunities for involvement at the start of each season.
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS
Each Wesleyan family is automatically a member of the Wesleyan Parents Club. In the fall, parents receive information on joining Wolf Trackers and the Wesleyan Arts Alliance, Wesleyan’s athletics and arts booster organizations. All three parent groups offer a range of volunteer opportunities year-round.
fifth grade mom VANESSA ANDERSON-GOLDWIRE, mom to Melissia Goldwire ‘29. Melissia joined the Wolf Jr. Players in the fall production of “Law and Order: Nursery Rhymes Unit” and was an ensemble member in the spring musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
“When I heard from the theater directors that parent volunteers were needed for backstage support, I knew I wanted to be a part of that,” says Anderson-Goldwire. “I have loved getting to know the kids, in a casual setting, in and out of character. It is truly amazing to witness their transformation visually and then enjoy the amazement of watching their personalities explode on stage.
“In the fall, as a new parent, I heard about SignUpGenius and used that to identify other ways I could serve,” Anderson-Goldwire goes on to say. “Between SignUpGenius, the Wesleyan Weekly, and emails from the theater team and grade chairs, I’ve found ways to be involved in a wide range of activities that include helping at the Hoedown during homecoming, decorating campus at Christmas, and creating bulletin boards for Black History Month. This has been a great way to get to know the community, campus, and other families.”
Opportunities to plug into the greater Wesleyan community are available K-12, and they come with a range of time commitments. Many parents begin their connections as a mystery reader in lower school or on the sidelines of their child’s school activities. Others, like Washington and Reding, lead other groups of parents in serving the school.
Among her many roles as a parent volunteer, Washington found herself serving as the girls basketball team mom.
“I was already attending the games,” she laughs. “And this was a great way to get to know the other parents.” Over the years, Washington has found flexible ways to fit in these extra commitments.
Parent engagement opportunities abound at Wesleyan regardless of the age of student. Time and time again, parents reflect on the value of getting plugged in on campus. As families like the Washingtons bring their time on campus each day to a close, the power of the parent community they cultivated will continue to impact their lives in the years to come.
