Jessica Glinsbockel

“The college is a special place because it combines all the parts of what you imagine university will be like, but makes it manageable and more enjoyable” -Jessica Glinsbockel ‘19

Jessica was introduced to Corpus Christi College by her sister, Alexandra (Alex) Glinsbockel who is also a graduate of Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s College. Like Alex, Jessica appreciated the tailored educational experience that provided connections with peers and professors at the College and on the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus.

Jessica recently graduated from UBC, completing her Bachelor of Education (20’). (Bed). She started work as an elementary school teacher in the CISVA system this fall. Jessica is passionate about “developing a student’s mind and spirit, using the art of storytelling and play-based learning because [she] believes these tools have the power to expand a person’s beliefs, understanding, scope, humility, and empathy.”

Jessica was inspired by research and exploration while pursuing her degrees. This was clear in the work she undertook as part of her student employment at Corpus Christi College, where she assisted in the creation, implementation and cleanup of the Development and Alumni Database.

Jessica maintained a balance between her studies and numerous extracurricular activities while completing her Associates of Arts Degree (‘17) (AA) at Corpus, and her Bachelors of Arts in Theology and Culture from St. Mark’s College (‘19), She considers this to be both a personal and professional success. She developed leadership skills through the Inspire Leadership Program and the Student Ambassador Program and her service as both the Alumni Representative and later, Undergraduate Representative on the St. Mark’s College Senate. Her student activities included involvement in Corpus Christi’s Social Justice Forum and Voices of Hope. Jessica earned many awards and scholarships at Corpus including the Gerald and Marian Sylvester Award (2018-2019), the Step into Leadership Scholarship (2015-2016), and Scholastic Excellence Award (2017-2019). Jessica continues to be an engaged alumnus and has made a point to remain involved in the College community while continuing her education at UBC. She has been a part of Leadership Teams, social events and activities, and maintaining a part-time job at St. Mark’s College in the Development and Alumni Office.

When asked about how Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s have made in impact on her life, she says the “the Colleges have made an enormous impact on my life because they spearheaded my career to be an elementary school teacher, while providing me with opportunities to explore my faith and social life.” When reflecting on her time at school, she adds her experience at the Colleges were different than her friends who attended other post-secondary institutions. She believes they didn’t have the same opportunities to meet people, be involved, get personalized instruction available in smaller class environments- these are all part of a Corpus student’s daily life.

Corpus provided Jessica with experiences she wouldn’t have attempted if she had attended a larger university. Jessica received the Step Into Leadership Scholarship for 2015-2016. While achieving her academic standing to maintain her scholarship funding, she was able to make friends, be the President of the Student Association, be a volunteer and work for the colleges. For her legacy project, she collaborated with a classmate to arrange a multinational video sharing diary series. They arranged for two elementary schools in Burnaby to be in contact with an elementary class in Tanzania to share video messages back and forth. “It was a beautiful project where we connected students across the world to share an experience and have a conversation” Jessica remarks.

In 2016, Jessica completed an experiential learning course which included a service-learning component to the Northwest Territories. During this trip, she was exposed to completely different perspectives on life and experiences. The Northwest Territories trip helped spearhead a lot of her studies in Indigenous culture and history, helping her recognize that many of her favourite courses taken during her program were centered around this subject matter. Reflecting on her time in the North, Jess took the course work and theory she learned about the First Peoples and related it to real people. One of her many highlights of the trip included: spending time with members of the community in Fort Liard, playing with first nations children, listening to their music and stories, and observing/participating in cultural events. She continues to cherish the memories of her time spent in The North.

Jessica offers a piece of advice for current students entering Corpus: “Take this time to focus on finding yourself- College is about exploring your various strengths, challenges and interests relating to faith, education, people and activities.”