2 MIN READ

What it Means to be a Heartspring Values Ambassador

By: Heartspring

Behind every student’s success, there’s a passionate, caring employee putting their heart and soul into helping students thrive.

Thanks to a Heartspring employee, Sydney, who now works as a house warmer at the Ronald McDonald House, had a successful first interview and is now redeeming the “happiness and joy” she mentioned as expectations on her job application.

Thanks to a Heartspring employee, Caleb’s “Pop Tab Pandemonium” project, through which he collects can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, has taken off, leading supporters of Heartspring to donate tabs for his initiative.

Thanks to a Heartspring employee, Malachi, was featured as a Heartspring success story on the cover of the East Wichita News, highlighting the amazing, hard work he put into delivering the newspaper every week.

Thanks to a Heartspring employee, The Farris Wheel, a local candy shop, partnered with Heartspring to let Farrakhan learn vocational skills by packaging candy. This experience helps him build discipline, drive, and job experience for his future.

Thanks to a Heartspring employee, Payton started an exciting new internship as a clerical assistant at Cypress Medical Center after training on our campus for several weeks.

This employee is Employment Training Coordinator Jeff Jones.

To Jeff, student success comes first, and helping them excel in life is at the heart of his purpose.

In fact, he often travels great lengths to achieve this: with his passion for taking Heartspring’s Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) into the community, he has made strong connections with local organizations to help students practice vocational skills through community internships, jobs, and creative work opportunities.

"His dedication in helping students succeed is his true calling and passion,” says Director of Educational Services Stephen Perry. “Even before he was given the title of Employment Training Coordinator, he has looked for ways of making CIE community experiences more effective for students, business partners, and community members.”

And his passion doesn’t stop there: Jeff’s special drive to celebrate students drives him to share even the smallest moments of success— like a smile, a handshake, a new conversation, or an exciting personal win—with Heartspring’s marketing team— and thanks to his advocacy for students, the students’ stories are shared to help expand the awareness of our CIE program in our community.

“Jeff is the guiding force behind the success of countless students at Heartspring, but he also guides the success of more staff members than we will ever know,” says Curriculum Development Coordinator June Henkelman. “The genuine care and kindness that he shows to everyone resonates beyond the walls of Heartspring and into our community.”

Jeff is a true Heartspring Values Ambassador—it is thanks to him that many of our students leave Heartspring with confidence, grace, and numerous vocational skills to build an independent life after graduation.

It is thanks to him that students can have a successful transition and a fulfilling, productive future.

Jeff, thank you for helping our students shine – and thank you for being an outstanding example of our values and an ambassador of our mission.

Congratulations!