Jessica Hoskins
hoskinsj@njhealth.org
Why did you become an administrative assistant?
I have always wanted to work with children and couldn’t think of a better place to start my career than Kunsberg. The students and staff welcomed me with open arms as a volunteer nearly one year ago, and I of course was eager to become a part of the staff as the administrative assistant. The biggest “perk” of my position is that I get to go into every classroom and help out—I love that part!
What is it like to work at Kunsberg?
Rewarding! When I see the kids smile, I can’t help but smile myself. The only drawback is that I go home with sore cheeks!
Where did you go to school and when?
I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2009. I received a BA in psychology and a Colorado K-6 Teaching License. I am currently in graduate school at the University of Colorado Denver to become a licensed counselor. GO BUFFS!
How did you find Kunsberg?
I worked in another department at National Jewish Health for one year and started volunteering almost immediately after starting there. A co-worker introduced me to a few of Kunsberg’s staff and the rest is history.
What do you do in your spare time?
I travel almost every weekend—either to places in Colorado or around the U.S. During long weekends or breaks, I have been known to jet off to places around the world. I have been to 4 of 7 continents and hope to visit all 7 some day. During those trips, I take a lot of photos and try my best to put them into photo albums or scrapbooks.
What is your favorite teaching story?
Without a doubt, the “How To Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich” lesson. It not only gets the point across on how to write a procedural paper, but really gets the teacher messy…I still laugh, even when I am the one teaching the lesson! The lesson involves the students telling the teacher how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and if they don’t give precise instructions, the bag of bread gets ripped open, the jelly gets smeared on the bag, and the teacher gets peanut butter all over the jar of jelly! The involvement from the students is unlike any other lesson I have ever seen or taught and that truly makes it memorable for everyone.
What is your education and work history?
When I was a junior and senior in high school, I volunteered at my grade school. It was during those two years that I realized that teaching was my “calling.” Since then, I have worked with 5 districts in the Denver-metro area as well as a kindergarten class at a local private school. I love working with children and intend this year to be the first of many with Kunsberg!
