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Upper St. Clair grad makes a difference with America's Promise, United Way and fund-raisers

Wednesday, January 08, 2003

By L.A. Johnson, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Even via telephone from her New York University dorm room, Jessica Gipson is a study in kinetics. The Upper St. Clair native enthusiastically jumps from one topic to another, sounding surprised to hear how people have sung the praises of her volunteer work and amused that a reporter has learned her secret nickname is Kika.

	"I'm extremely flattered and honored as well as excited," says Jessica Gipson, about receiving a Jefferson Award for her hundreds of hours of volunteer work, which included mentoring "little sister" Angela Basso, in back. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

Gipson, 18, loves the Dave Matthews Band. She reads David Sedaris and Sir Thomas More for fun and Montaigne's essays for class.

In high school, she performed more than 500 volunteer hours of service with America's Promise, Allegheny County, organized student summits and helped coordinate United Way Youth Days of Caring, which drew students from throughout the Pittsburgh area to work on volunteer projects.

She organized fund-raisers and educational events for the Pediatric AIDS Awareness Committee at Upper St. Clair High School and also was a member of the Changes committee, a group of suburban students who partner with city school students to perform volunteer projects.

For her hundreds of hours of volunteer work, Gipson is being honored as one of seven Community Champions receiving a Jefferson Award, considered the Nobel Prize of volunteering.

"I'm extremely flattered and honored as well as excited," says Gipson, in her throaty, raspy, sometimes rapid-fire Valley Girl speak. "It's wonderful."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, AT&T Broadband and Eat'n Park, with help from the United Way, sponsor Community Champions, a program of the national Jefferson Awards. The public and workers in the nonprofit sector nominated the 47 volunteers featured in public service ads last year in the PG and on AT&T cable stations. From that number, judges chose the Jefferson Award recipients, who will receive a medallion and $1,000 for the nonprofit organization of their choice. At 7 p.m. Jan. 23, they will be recognized at an awards presentation in Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland.

"It's weird saying volunteer because I love it so much," she says. "I feel like I'm helping someone or that my being there has made a difference in someone's life, and every time it happens, I'm in awe."

Gipson, a freshman at NYU studying special education, hopes to teach in New York someday. This semester she had an internship at an elementary school in Harlem teaching first-graders about nutrition.

"I loved it," she says.

As a child, she recalls going with her mom to help out at soup kitchens. She also raised $500 for a multiple sclerosis charity through a read-a-thon when she was in the fifth and sixth grades.

"My mom instilled in me the idea that no matter how bad things are, there's probably someone who has it worse," Gipson says. "I'm incredibly lucky in my life."

Those who have worked with Gipson say they've been privileged to toil alongside such a dynamic, intelligent and caring young woman.

"Jess is just awesome," says Daniel Horgan, executive director of America's Promise, Allegheny County. "She's definitely a motivator and the one motivating people to reach their potential." The goal of America's Promise is to build the character and competence of youth by fulfilling five promises of providing ongoing relationships with caring adults, safe places with structured activities during nonschool hours, a healthy start and future, marketable skills through effective education, and opportunities to give back through community service.

Horgan, 22, met Gipson about three years ago, when she was a high school sophomore and working with the United Way.

"She looks past what we would label differences in people and just sees people for who they are and is able to relate to them and engage them," says Horgan, who nominated her for the award. "It's not about promoting her agenda, but finding out what someone else is interested in and engaging them in that role."

Gipson was a strong force within America's Promise and often was called upon to be the organization's voice and to speak for youth in general. When the America's Promise fellows met with Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey, Gipson wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions about what the county has to offer youth.

"As corny as it sounds, I actually thought I was making a difference every time we had a meeting," she says of her America's Promise work. "We got things done, and it was just great."

Gipson is always looking for ways to help others. During her college interview at NYU, she asked if they had a Pediatric AIDS Awareness program. When they told her "no," she asked if she could start one. She now is about to set up a chapter of Caring for Kids 101, a program through which college students can raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

"She's a great person and I greatly admire her," Horgan says. "We're the only youth-led [America's Promise] program in the country, and it's due to leadership like Jess."

Gipson found that work satisfying and fun.

"We were always laughing and we got things done, but we were happy while we were doing them," she says. "Laughing is part of living well."

Erich DiCenzo, 18, of McKees Rocks, is the one who gave Gipson the nickname Kika because she looked like a Kika to him.

"Everybody needs a Kika in their life," says DiCenzo, who credits Gipson with getting him interested in volunteerism about two years ago.

He says that unlike some young people who participate in community service just to receive accolades, Gipson does it because she truly wants to help people. He describes her as a peacemaker, a leader and a friend with a wonderful sense of humor.

"She's a getaway," says DiCenzo, a Montour High School senior. "When you're having problems, she's the person you can trust and rely on."

Lori Y. Rue met Gipson four years ago when she was working with the United Way and immediately was struck by her enthusiasm.

"I'd never ever seen her in a moment when she's been down or that she didn't just want to roll up her sleeves and get to work," says Rue, now a project director with the Urban League of Pittsburgh.

Just thinking about Gipson brings a smile to Rue's face, and she says she'll always be interested to see what Gipson does in the future.

"She's going to make a difference regardless of whether her name is out there or not," Rue says. "She has that internal flame that's going to keep her motivated throughout her life regardless of what she does."

In high school, Gipson was an outstanding student, sang in school choirs, did her volunteer work, played the piano, and still had time to be a Big Sister to a young woman she now considers more a good friend than a "Little Sister."

"People are always surrounding Jessica and getting energy from her," says Barbara Andrews, a teacher and the Changes adviser at Upper St. Clair High School. "She has always been extremely busy and an excellent student but still always had time for others."

In high school, Gipson was famous for making cookies for school bus trips or doing other little things for people.

"Most teenagers just care about themselves," Andrews said. "She cares more about others, which is hard to find among teenagers and even among grown-ups."

Gipson considers her volunteer work just something she does and isn't sure she's quite as altruistic as others might believe. She gets as much, if not more, out of her volunteer efforts as the people she helps. And she believes everyone who can help someone, should.

"You just get this feeling of elation and you create these connections that are out of this world," she says. "You think 10 years from now, 'I think that little girl will remember me,' and also it makes you realize that it's the little things that count and the little things can make a difference, and a positive one."

The Grable Family Foundation is donating $1,000 to the Pediatric AIDS Awareness Committee of Upper St. Clair High School in Gipson's name.