Jessica Therivel graduated in 1996 from University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology and went on to Florida State University where she obtained a Master’s degree in Social Work. She worked for almost 10 years as a medical social worker working primarily in the field of hospice care. After having her twin girls, Jessica made a shift and began to work part-time from home as a writer/peer reviewer for a continuing education company that created continuing education materials for licensed social workers. Jessica also has a long history of philanthropy. She served on the Wish Night Gala Board for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Dallas. From there, she went on to chair the fundraising efforts at Incarnation Academy in Dallas. With a move to Charlotte, NC for her husband, Laurent’s job, Jessica volunteered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and served on the elementary school’s PTA board. With a return to Dallas, Jessica served for 3 years as the Auction Chair for Lakehill Preparatory School. This was a successful term with the net proceeds for the auction gala almost doubling under Jessica’s tenure from $80,000 to almost $160,000. In December of 2018, Jessica moved to Mexico for Laurent’s work once again. It was in Mexico that Jessica began her most rewarding volunteer work. She taught an English class once a week in an orphanage school in Mexico City. In addition to teaching, as part of the commitment to the school, Jessica also helped with additional fundraising and service projects related to obtaining necessary food and personal items for the girls in the orphanage. This volunteer work was the most powerful and impactful for Jessica. Now that her children are approaching high school, Jessica is ready to donate her time and energy to worthwhile organizations, such as, El Sistema.
