Joseph Vazquez / The Collegian

Ashley Gomes was guaranteed as least $1,000 in scholarship money as a result of being an American Eagle Outfitters Spirit Award finalist. The only question was: Could she get more?

Gomes, a liberal studies major who earned a bachelor̢۪s degree in May 2005, became one of ten finalists for the $5,000 scholarship grand prize, and the only finalist from California. Gomes̢۪ work with the Fresno State Jumpstart program earned her this meritorious distinction.

Gomes emerged as one of five winners of the $5,000 award at the American Eagle Outfitters Spirit of Service Award ceremony in June down in Los Angeles.

“ I just felt honored to end up being one of the top finalists, it was a pretty amazing feeling,â€Â Gomes said.

Jumpstart, where Gomes spent much of her undergraduate time, is an early literacy tutoring program that pairs college students in a one-on-one situation with preschool children. Jumpstart site manager Neil Dion said Gomes was an integral part of the program for the three years she was involved.

“She was a fantastic tutor and just continually impressed us for the three years,â€Â Dion said.

Gomes received her teaching credential in May 2007, and now teaches 29 fourth-graders at Fremont Elementary School in the Fowler Unified School District. She believes that her participation in the Jumpstart program helped her even before she went through the credential program.

Joseph Vasquez / The Collegian

“The strategies that you use and the teacher training you go through, it works across the board,â€Â Gomes said. “I think I was pretty well trained before I started my credential.â€Â

Although she knew she would end up teaching younger children, Jumpstart helped in the decision-making process.

“I really started to get comfortable working with younger children and I learned a lot of strategies that will also apply at different grade levels,â€Â Gomes said.

Gomes took Jumpstart’s national motto of ‘Working toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed’ to heart.

“I kind of realized how much mentors are needed and how much I can help,â€Â Gomes said. “Even if it’s just me working with one child and the family.â€Â

Fresno State hires 75 to 80 tutors for Jumpstart, which also partners with Fresno City College to produce about 110 total students from Fresno who participate in the work-study program. Of those 100-plus students, Dion recognized Gomes̢۪ talent in the program.

“She just naturally took great interest in working with her child and the child’s family,â€Â he said.

Gomes even credits her work with Jumpstart for her newest interest in linguistics, so much so that she̢۪s pursuing her master̢۪s degree at Fresno State in the subject.

“It sparked out of the children I worked with,â€Â Gomes said. “It was amazing how much they learned by me just working with them.â€Â

While Gomes will be busy at Fremont Elementary School and at Fresno State working on her master̢۪s degree, she does not see the end of her partnership with Jumpstart just yet.

“I wouldn’t say ‘over’ because I still go over and see them whenever I am on campus,â€Â Gomes said. “I really feel at some point I am going to do something more for them.â€Â

With the $5,000 scholarship money to help Gomes in her future endeavors, Dion is proud of the accomplishments of one of Jumpstart̢۪s own.

“We are very lucky to have her,â€Â Dion said, “and very proud of her.â€Â