Meet Up with Jojo!
Blog Post by Ava Kornblum
October 2022
Meet Joscelynn Murdock, also known as Jojo! Jojo is the Executive Director of the Non-profit Organization Awakening Giants, working towards empowering and inspiring people to grow through information, education, and outreach. She believes it’s important to give back to the community to create a meaningful change. She offered us some insight into what motivates her to help others.
Can you share a little about yourself?
My family is super important to me. I am a mom to three beautiful kids 10, 7, and 1.5 years old. I have been married for 13 years to my amazing partner in crime Kevin Murdock and I love to have dance parties with my family. I got my degree in sociology from UCSB, I have worked in many roles that touch foster youth lives and have loved learning where I am most needed.
Who was your biggest mentor/advocate growing up? Why were they so influential?
This is a hard one because I feel so many people played this role for me in different stages in my life it is hard to narrow it down. I always sought out people to mentor me in different roles for different reasons and seasons. I believe my biggest takeaway is that you are never too young or old in life to need good advice or a person ahead of you to encourage you and to do life with you. It also taught me to be open to what wisdom people have to offer because knowledge really is power.
What aspect of Project Glimmer inspires you the most and why?
I love that they help to build social capital for our young women at promise and help them to cast vision for their futures by partnering with companies that let their employees share their stories and job roles. Not to mention how they move in kindness in all their communication.
As a former foster youth, what message do you have for foster youth today?
Your story is powerful and full of life that will lead you to great things if you let your perspective shift to see how resilient you are and how much worth you bring to the table by being you. You are enough just the way you are.
Please share anything additional that you would like our readers to know!
I love working for nonprofits because it makes me feel like I am living my purpose. My favorite thing is when I see people come back years later telling me how the work I did helped them to get to where they are now. We may not see the fruit now but watering the seed of hope is just as important.
