Jessica Driscoll "Jessie" Longhurst was a gifted volunteer, scholar, leader, athlete, and mentor. Involved in countless activities throughout her life, Jessie was hailed as a devoted friend, beloved family member, and champion of the underdog by the scores of people whose lives she touched. Her legacy is recalled by many as "Jessie's Gift."
A junior psychology major at Albion College studying abroad at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, Jessie died in an automobile accident near Townsville on April 10, 2005.
"I suspect that if I had polled Albion College students last month and asked them to list the ten students they admired most, I have no doubt that Jessie would have been listed more often than just about any student on campus," Albion President Peter Mitchell said at her memorial service. "She touched people's lives in their most intimate and vulnerable places because she had a remarkable ability to connect on a personal level."
"The love you send out will return to you"
Jessie was born July 24, 1984, in Albion, Michigan, where she grew up with her three sisters. She attended Albion Open School for elementary and Washington Gardner Middle School in Albion. A 2002 graduate of Albion High School (AHS), Jessie graduated in June 2002 with a 4.0 grade point average. She was dual-enrolled at AHS and Albion College and had completed 28 hours of college credit by the time she received her high school diploma. Jessie was co-valedictorian of her graduating class.
Service was a major component of Jessie's life, and throughout the years she was involved in a wide variety of initiatives aimed at improving the lives of others. She worked hard at mentoring elementary and middle school students, and in high school began her involvement in the nationally respected Healing of Racism program at Starr Commonwealth, a private, non-profit residential treatment facility in Albion for troubled children and teens. She served as the youngest-ever facilitator for the Healing of Racism, working with groups and individuals to break down racial and ethnic stereotypes and barriers. Her research paper "My Journey in the Healing of Racism" was published in the journal Strength-Based Services International.
"Her gift was to lead by serving others, to share her talents in a generous and self-effacing manner, and to create light and smiles wherever she went," Thomas Hunsdorfer, special assistant to the Albion College president, told The Pleiad, Albion's student newspaper. "There's a line in an old song that goes something like, ‘The love you send out will return to you,' and to me, that's what Jessie was all about: sharing her talents, her compassion, and her love with others and being, in turn, enriched by the reciprocal affection."
Her father, Dr. Jim Longhurst, a licensed psychologist, noted that Jessie loved being challenged in school and in athletics by teachers and coaches who set high expectations of her. By her high school graduation, Jessie had received a number of awards and honors, but she always said she was most proud of her 2002 Bill Wasmund Award. The award is given each year by the Albion Public Schools to a student at the elementary, middle school, and high school level.
"Jessie felt extremely honored to receive the Wasmund Award," recalled her father, who was a former colleague of Wasmund at Starr Commonwealth. "I was part of the committee that established the award when Bill died in 1997. We wanted to create an award that would recognize Albion students who helped the victims of bullies, or who supported students who were being taken advantage of. It was not a popularity or achievement award, but a way to honor someone who stuck up for others and who challenged those individuals or groups that were hurting others."
It was a theme she repeated throughout her life. Mitchell noted that Jessie's "indomitable spirit simply would not allow injustice, cruelty, or insensitivity."
"She would champion causes and stick up for people, but never in antagonistic or condescending or patronizing ways," he said. "She taught us to challenge the status quo, but to do so with dignity and grace."
During her senior year Jessie also received the Phi Beta Kappa Award, the American Association of University Women Award, the Tim A. Ness Humanitarian Award, and the Student Athlete Award. A math and science tutor and a member of Volunteens, she was the student council vice president and a member of the National Honor Society. Jessie was a four-year letter-winner as a member of the Albion High School Wildcats swimming team, and received all-state honors and All-American consideration her senior year, when she was co-captain and named Most Valuable. She also was a varsity soccer letter-winner. Jessie coached youth soccer and the "Aquacats" youth swim team.
Already dedicated to establishing and sustaining meaningful mentoring programs in the Albion Public Schools, Jessie convinced Albion College sociology professor Len Berkey to allow her to join his Building Assets in Middle School Girls research/mentoring initiative during 2001-02 when she was still a senior in high school. The college students were paired with at-risk girls at the Albion Middle School for mentoring, and in addition were required to conduct detailed research on some aspect of girls' lives within the Albion community. Jessie's work was so outstanding, Berkey said, that she was selected to present her research paper—entitled "The Effects of Childrearing on the Resiliency of Adolescent Girls"—at the National Women's Studies Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas in June of 2002.
"Everyone there thought that Jessie was a graduate student," Berkey recalled. "They were amazed that a high school student could do that level of academic work and present her results with such passion and poise."
"A personal goal"
Entering college in the fall of 2002—and moving from her home to the Albion College campus—was an eye-opening experience for the active Albionite.
"During my first year at Albion, I was surprised by the negative perception of the community held by many of my fellow classmates," Jessie wrote on November 26, 2003. "Given my strong emotional connection to Albion, I made it a personal goal to encourage other college students to reach out to the community that would be their home for four years."
A recipient of Albion's highly competitive four-year, full-ride Distinguished Albion Scholarship Program, Jessie was a member of the College's Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service and was interested in pre-law. Her love of her hometown and commitment to bridging the gap between town and gown compelled her work on a two-year college research project studying "Albion: Boom, Bust, and Recovery: Explorations of Albion, Michigan — the last Half-Century." With a $40,000 grant from the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)/Lancy Initiative, the group studied the city of Albion from historical, sociological, environmental, and creative viewpoints.
As an Albion native, Jessie brought a special perspective—and an intoxicating energy—to the project. Her topic was "Growing up in Albion during Boom, Bust, and Recovery." She had mentioned to her mother, Lynn, that she was no longer satisfied with focusing on the "Boom and Bust" but wanted to do something significant related to the "Recovery" of Albion. She researched youth recreation in the city, looking at changes in recreation opportunities, leadership and support over the past half-century. By the end of the second summer of research, Jessie applied for and received an external grant from the Michigan Prevention Network to continue her work. She centered her energy on organizing poetry "slams" aimed at preventing the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among high school students.
"I am really excited about the possibilities for the program," Jessie told a Pleiad reporter. "I think there are many Albion High School students with a lot of talent to offer in the performing arts. It is my hope that this poetry slam program will allow them to utilize this talent while also delivering a positive message to younger kids in Albion."
Over the course of two years, Jessie and her fellow students presented their "Albion: Boom, Bust, and Recovery" research during community-wide forums and at two national conferences. In the spring of 2004, Jessie presented her research on youth recreation in Albion during the annual Isaac Student Research Symposium, which highlights the best in Albion student research and creative activity.
During her years as an Albion Briton, Jessie was a member of the varsity swimming, track, and cross country teams. She was an Alpha Phi Omega sorority member and active in the Canoe Club. She also was the student worker in the busy office of the Albion College president. She joked with Mitchell that she wanted her career to mirror his. "First I'll be president of Albion College," he recalled her saying, "and then I'll be governor."
All through the semester break during her junior year, Jessie anxiously prepared for her trip to Australia. She arrived there in early February.
"Jessie truly inspired us"
Jessie was joyful about her semester in Australia, and sent dozens of emails, photos, and instant messages to family and friends about the wonderful time she was having there. In one she mentioned that she was excited about going to a rodeo and meeting a cowboy.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, Australia time, as she was leaving the rodeo. News of Jessie's death spread quickly. By Sunday evening in Albion, more than 600 people gathered at an impromptu prayer service at Goodrich Chapel on Albion's campus. Dozens of students, faculty, and community members spoke of Jessie's influence on their lives, and Jessie's family addressed those in attendance.
Four days later, on April 15, 2005, nearly 1,500 people attended her memorial service at Goodrich Chapel. During his eulogy, President Mitchell remarked that "everyone in this place would say with joy and sorrow that our friendships with Jessie truly inspired us and even ennobled our lives. She had a wonderful capacity to bring out the best in each of us."
The boards of trustees of Starr Commonwealth and Albion College issued special proclamations in her memory. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and the Michigan State Legislature issued a Special Tribute to Jessie, which was read during the service by Michigan State Senator Mark Schauer. Upon her return from her semester abroad, Jessie was slated to be an intern in Schauer's Lansing office. Remembrances were offered by Jessie's friends and family, and the Briton Singers sang "Set Me as a Seal upon Your Heart." A video presentation featuring photographic flashbacks of Jessie's life was played, and as the service drew to a close, the congregation stood and held hands as Louis Armstrong sang one of her favorite songs, "What a Wonderful World."
A similar memorial service was attended by hundreds at Townsville's James Cook University.
At commencement exercises on Albion's Quadrangle a few weeks later, a moment of silence was observed in her memory.
A continuing legacy
Immediately following her death, a college-based mentoring program was named Jessie's Gift, and all memorial contributions were directed by her family to that fund. Many members of the graduating class of 2005 contributed to the fund, and purple "Jessie's Gift" wrist bands became popular items.
It was only the start. Two Albion professors—Berkey and professor of psychology Barbara Keyes—developed year-long seminars on mentoring. Jessie's parents continue to visit the classes and speak to the students about the importance of mentoring and the legacy of Jessie's Gift. Efforts continue to expand the Jessie's Gift program.
At the annual National Youth Summit in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2005, Jessie was honored posthumously by David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, with the President's Volunteer Service Award—only one of three awards given at the summit. Jessie's involvement in mentoring and in the creation of the Poetry Slam Initiative were cited as worthy of this recognition. The National Youth Summit, sponsored by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, was created in 2002 as a way to encourage the contributions of the nation's young people in helping their communities. First Lady Laura Bush spoke at the gathering.
Traveling to Washington to attend the summit, Jessie's youngest sister, Abby, had no idea she would be escorted to the stage to accept the award on her sister's behalf. Abby was given a framed letter from President George W. Bush and Laura Bush thanking Jessie's family for her contributions and expressing condolences for her death.
"Jessie was one of those people who loved everyone and that everyone loved back," Abby said. "As a big sister, she taught me so much about the importance of loving, caring and giving to others. Jessie impacted so many lives in her twenty years and I feel so lucky to have had someone as great as her as my sister."
With laughter and tears, Abby and her sisters, Jordan and Jamie, carry with them the cherished memories of their sister, and they have expressed interest in continuing her legacy of mentoring. Her father, Jim, works daily with troubled children and teens at Starr Commonwealth, and continues to run Healing of Racism seminars. Her mother, Lynn, mentors a child at Albion's Harrington Elementary School. The family hosts annual C
"Kindness is the first word you think of when you think of Jessie," her mother told the Jackson Citizen Patriot newspaper April 12, 2005. "She always took people under her wing. It's not just because I'm her mother. She was mature way beyond her years. I had people tell me she accomplished more in her 20 years than many people do at 75. She touched so many lives. God must have decided he needed her."
Her good friend Joe Zessin summed it up by saying, "Jessie was such a treasure; hopefully, she can live on through all of us."
-- Morris Arvoy – 2006
UPDATE: "Jessie's Gift" mentoring program continues to provide opportunities for Albion College students to mentor children in the Albion community and to study the impact mentoring has on not only the children, but also on themselves as mentors. Jessie was strong in her belief that the mentor-mentee relationship was not a one way relationship, but that both individuals gained from each other.
Several community members have come together in an effort to build a statue that would memorialize Jessie but more importantly recognize the efforts of so many individuals in the Albion community who have helped children. This statue will serve as a visible symbol of this community's care and compassion for its children. As well, it will also represent the connections among the Albion community and schools, Albion College, and Starr Commonwealth. David Habicht, a local sculptist, has been commissioned to design and build the statue which will be located at a yet-to-be-determined site.
