Staff Spotlight: Jessi Long, Communications & Development Coordinator

Name & Title: Jessi Longe, Communications & Development Coordinator

Image Credit: Jessi Longe

Short bio of your background/experience: I was born and raised in South-Eastern Michigan where I attended public schools, received my B.A. in History, and did a variety of work surrounding storytelling. I spent two years living and working abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the amazing Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho (pronounced Le-soo-two). In Lesotho, staff at a public clinic worked with me on supply chain management practices and an HIV+ Youth Club. My heart called me to the West Coast after finishing my time in Lesotho, and I'm now ecstatic to call The Bay home.

Why you chose to do this work:

Public education is one of the reasons I am the person I am today. In high school, a group of parents attempted to ban the books Beloved and Waterland from our curriculum. Myself, other students, and parents made our case to the Board of Education about keeping the books and setting up future protocol for when a parent finds certain works inappropriate. This experience may seem small, but it paved the way for so many other larger experiences I've had. Working for Parents for Public Schools - San Francisco is one way I can show my support for public schools and my support for accessible, free, public education. Something everyone should have access to.

Fun fact about Jessi:

In college, I interviewed students, faculty, staff, and alumni, for a time capsule that was sent into space.

A quote I like to remind myself:

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day, you'll look back and realize they were the big things." Kurt Vonnegut