Jaella was young when she moved from the Philippines to the United States. “I actually had to do kindergarten twice,” said Jaella, “I finished kindergarten in the Philippines and moved to Virginia and had to keep doing kindergarten!” With that ordeal behind her, Jaella, who is studying business information systems at VCU, continues to embrace her Filipino roots. “Filipino culture is a huge part of my life," she explained. “Especially my college life. I’m really involved in the Filipino student org at VCU. I even started my own organization, Kapwa, to promote Filipino history and culture. So that’s been a growth experience for me.”
When several Asian student orgs decided to host a big event, Jaella reached out to Rev. Russ Kerr. “I had come to a few programs at Pace,” she said. “It was on my radar, but I wasn't super involved yet.” Russ introduced the group to the servant leadership principles that students use when designing Pace programs.
“I've been in many leadership roles and seen a lot of leadership methods,” Jaella reflected. “but I just found what Pace does to be very different. First, Russ made us meet in person. That may seem like a bare minimum thing, but after Covid, everything was virtual. It helped the event leaders connect. Then, Russ encouraged us to think deeply about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, which we hadn’t done too much when we’d planned previous events. I just liked how thoughtful and intentional we were. The questions Russ asked us made the event transform into a whole different thing - something we were really proud of.”
This experience led Jaella to join Pace’s Fellowship, a semester-long program focused on servant leadership. “I didn’t know what to expect, but it was great! It helped me feel more confident meeting new people and building connections. Soft skills aren’t always something you’re taught in college. Now, I naturally try to recognize what gifts people have and encourage them to use them.”
Jaella, who will graduate in May, is eager to apply what she’s learned to her future career. “Fellowship helped me grow as a person and communicator. It’s been such an instrumental part of my college experience.” Thank you for supporting Pace programs, such as the Fellowship program, that help students become servant leaders.
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