We were lucky to catch up with Jackie Willock recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jackie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
As a child, I never had a mentor to help me to figure out important things, such as college readiness, etc. information and I had to figure out a lot those things on my own. For this reason, my mission is to volunteer my time to help youth by finding Host Families for International High School Students so their DREAMS of experiencing life in the USA can come true; and serving as an Eagle Project Coach to my local Boy Scouts, Troop 599 in Miami, Florida for the scouts to earn the prestigious Eagle Scout Rank.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
Since 2017, I have been working with all types of Host Families in Florida, which includes military families, same sex couples, families with or without kids, single parents, a single person with no kids and empty nesters. With each family and with each student I always learn so much about their backgrounds, interests, hobbies, and culture, and they learn about mine.
Regardless of which families or students they always tell me how their hosting experience affected their lives in a significant and favorable manner. They learn and grow together and build life-long friendships. The student became a part of their family (they gained a new son/daughter, sister/brother), they participated together in family activities and the students even helped by doing chores at home. The host family learned a new language, customs, and traditions of another country, and now they have family around the world. It is their opportunity to be GLOBAL while being a local! By hosting a student, the Host Families also played an important role in promoting (in the evolving process) of a peaceful world by increasing international awareness and cultural understanding.
As a Local Coordinator, my role includes reviewing student’s applications carefully to find out what they like or do not like and interviewing the Host Families to learn what type of student they would like to host, and ultimately making the perfect match. I coordinate with the school’s district office to obtain school acceptance into a public or private high school. When there is a need, I also assist with requesting a transfer for the student into another high school.
I conduct a home visit (to ensure the home is safe and sanitary) for the student to live there. I offer an orientation before the students’ arrival to ensure the Host Family understands all aspects of hosting. I also cover the information with the student upon their arrival, to ensure everyone understands all the rules. I supervise the student by doing monthly check-ins with the student, their Host Family, and the school counselor. I prepare a monthly report that is sent to the student’s natural parents. I plan activities and events with the student so that all my students can meet and can bond. Should any concerns, issues or anything arise, I am their first contact to help resolve anything.
I provide red carpet customer service to all my students and their Host Family. In doing so, they know I am available to help everyone to have a successful hosting and international cultural experience. I am easily available to them when any issues arise to help to resolve any issues. Using social media, I manage a Group Chat with my students and another Group Chat for my Host Families, where I share important information (including local events and activities), we all share photos and videos of fun things they do, and it also serves as a quick way for anyone to ask questions.
I truly take pride in what I do, and I realize I play an important role in being a DREAM MAKER for so many students!
As an Eagle Project Coach, I got started after my son, David, worked on his Eagle Project and I learned how the process works. I knew I had to share my knowledge with other scouts and their family so they would not have to reinvent the wheel and could have a smooth experience.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As a Local Coordinator, I have placed many students from Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway and Brazil. My goal is to place students from as many other countries as possible and to also travel to those countries and see my students there.
As an Eagle Project Coach, my goal is to continue to mentor the scouts to help them to choose a project, ensure he/she will have a successful project proposal and final report and they will be approved and pass the Eagle Board of Review to earn the prestigious Eagle Scout Rank.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by local 10 news for my work as a Local Coordinator and as an Eagle Project Coach.
I have used the links of those interviews to find new Host Families and to also show new scouts that one day, with my mentorship, they will also earn the Eagle Scout Rank:
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/21/student-foreign-exchange-programs-resume-with-fall-classes/
https://www.local10.com/news/florida/2021/11/25/efforts-underway-to-preserve-and-restore-floridas-coral-reefs/?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/10/22/twin-boy-scouts-turn-merit-badge-into-altruistic-enterprise/
Contact Info:
- Other: Want info about hosting a student, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/
d/e/ 1FAIpQLSfeNvXwtqdO9Q52SMSOZ4cQ 7amsW0so9E7P3KQT7SVNWg_Mzw/ viewform - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/jackie.willock.3/ - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/jackie- willock-042402189/ - Other: https://www.local10.
com/news/local/2021/08/21/ student-foreign-exchange- programs-resume-with-fall- classes/
https://www.local10.com/news/florida/2021/11/25/ efforts-underway-to-preserve- and-restore-floridas-coral- reefs/?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/10/22/twin-boy- scouts-turn-merit-badge-into- altruistic-enterprise/ - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ beaherohostanintlstudent/ - My Business Facebook Page: (4) Be a Hero – Host an International Student | Miami FL | Facebook
- LinkEd: (72) Jackie Willock | LinkedIn
- Educatius: Educatius | Host an International Student
- ExchangeMate: ExchangeMate International Education | Study in the USA
- Boy Scouts, Troop 599, Miami: