Jess Trief has been a part of the PALS family for a long time! Back in 2006, her college friend (and PALS co-founder) Jason Toff told her about this camp he helped start that created an inclusive and welcoming environment for people with Down syndrome. And he told her they needed more people to participate as Peers. Jess hadn’t done anything like that before, but she had benefited from her own summer camp experience and decided to go and check it out. “The moment I arrived, I knew that this would be special.”
“PALS totally transformed my understanding of ‘belonging’ and inspired me to take a more thoughtful approach to what it means to be welcoming and inclusive. ”
PALS changed Jess’s life. “I couldn’t stop going back! I loved it! I was learning a lot about myself. I was only 19 or 20 at the time.” Jess came to PALS five summers in a row. After she stopped attending full Camps, she kept popping in to see how the new programs were doing, and even served on the Board of Directors for several years. One of her favorite PALS memories was working closely with Sam Heller and Raj Bhandari as they developed the Counselor Support System. “We would go pick up lunch together, Sam would help me plan events, he would help set up for Olympics - he really helped me stay on top of all of my tasks!”
These days, Jess works as a Chief Strategic Officer for a brand consulting team in New York City. One of her former teams created the PALS logo! She still loves seeing all of the PALS love on social media and staying connected with friends from PALS. “I am excited to see the growth and the passion. I still really love the alumni that I’ve stayed in touch with. Both peers and partners that I spent summers with are still very very close friends all these years later.” From increased mindfulness to stronger context for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, the impact that PALS has made in Jess’s life can hardly be measured. “PALS totally transformed my understanding of ‘belonging’ and inspired me to take a more thoughtful approach to what it means to be welcoming and inclusive. Singing karaoke, playing cards, doing each other's hair - prior to my involvement with PALS, life felt like there was a non-stop speed. PALS allowed more opportunities to take a moment to be together instead of always looking for what’s next.”
We are so grateful for Jess’s continued love and support for the mission of PALS!
