Jenna Bouquot ’19 Turns Houses into Homes

Jenna Bouquot ’19 has a passion for community service that can be difficult to put into words. “It’s really hard to explain to someone who’s never been there,” she says. Jenna is describing her experience as a staff member of the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a Christian nonprofit organization that works to create safe, liveable spaces in disadvantaged communities.

Jenna began volunteering with ASP for seven days every summer while she was in high school. “As a volunteer, you work on one site for an entire week,” Jenna says. When she became a staff member in Logan County, WV, the summer after her first year at Kenyon, ASP’s service became much more intensive and more rewarding: “It was not only managing projects and constructions, but we were also in charge of all of our volunteers.”

With a team of 3-4 other staffers and a group of 80-90 volunteers weekly, Jenna would set out to bring a home in the community up to a liveable standard each week. “You get to see the progression of a home,” Jenna says. “To see a home go from being literally without a floor you can stand on to being liveable for a toddler is just amazing.”

During the week of home repairs and construction, Jenna along with fellow ASP staff and volunteers bond with the family members they’re serving on a personal level. “We get to know the family intimately because you see them pretty much every day.” For Jenna, getting to know a family and seeing their living space become safe and comfortable is the her favorite part of the job. “The interactions with the families you work for are so incredible,” Jenna says.

ASP staff work on various initiatives around the community. “I was working about 12 projects a week, so it’s definitely a lot,” Jenna says. Though the work is rewarding, it’s also demanding, which staff members adjust to over the course of the summer. “One of the biggest challenges we have is self care, because you’re working constantly,” Jenna says. “A college student’s schedule is not so different to what we do as ASP staffers. You just have to be okay with not having everyday luxuries.”

As a chemistry major, Jenna’s work with ASP has guided her to aspire to work in the nonprofit field. After Kenyon, Jenna hopes to pursue a graduate degree in social work or public health so she can continue her passion for community service. “[Working with ASP] helped to shape the things that I want to do in the future,” she says, “ and chemistry has allowed me to have a much more analytical mind, which is helpful with construction.”

According to Jenna, Kenyon is the perfect place to be for those interested in construction. “It’s just about, when you see something happening and you’re curious, just going and doing it,” she says. “People are always willing to answer your questions… it’s just getting familiar with it and learning as you go.”

There are also opportunities to get involved on campus. For example, Jenna is active in Habitat for Humanity and the Archon Society, a co-ed Greek Organization that works to connect students with Knox County through community service. “Try to be with groups of people who do service that’s in line with the things you like to do.”

This summer, Jenna will be working with ASP as a Center Director in Johnson County, Tennessee. For those interested in working in community service this summer, the CDO staff is available for advising. For additional local volunteer opportunities during the school year, check out Kenyon’s Office for Community Partnerships.

By Amelia Yeager ’20