JILL WOODWARD

Jill was born and raised in Chesterfield, Virginia where she got to experience the outdoors in the suburbs as well as the urban setting of downtown Richmond. She grew up around all things water which included: competitive swimming for 13 years, lifeguarding for 10 years, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, and white water rafting. She grew up in a large family where they would spend their time visiting Virginia State Parks as a family year after year and has always felt at home outside. While in college, Jill worked for Virginia Outside where she taught children how to fish, kayak, ride bikes, and appreciate the outdoors. Jill attended Radford University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism with a concentration in Recreation Therapy in 2019. Her love for the outdoors flourished in college where she was in the beautiful Blueridge Mountains of Virginia, whether it was hiking on a trail or kayaking down the New River she knew she had a passion for being outside. She interned at the Academy at SOAR in the Spring of 2019 and loved every minute of it! During this past last year Jill worked as a Recreation Therapist at a State Psychiatric Hospital where she sat as a clinical treatment team member and assisted with the rehabilitation of people with mental illness. She is excited to begin her new adventure by coming back to SOAR and helping students prepare for their future!