Dresden, Tenn.–Jenna Patton has accepted a position on the board of Global Citizen Adventure Corps, an award-winning nonprofit based in Dresden, that focuses on providing scholarships for students participating in a GCAC travel service learning program. A native of Camden, Patton is an educator driven by faith and family. She is currently teaching Spanish I and II and Dual Enrollment Spanish at Hollow Rock – Bruceton Central High School in Bruceton, as well as serving as adjunct instructor for UT Parsons Center, a position she’s held since January 2023.
She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education but has focused on teaching high school Spanish since 2009. She received her master’s degree in English as a Second Language from Carson Newman University in 2012 and completed 21 hours of master’s level Spanish courses from Idaho State University in December 2022.
Jenna married her husband, Lance, in 2008. They now have two children, Kennedy and Cameron. An active member of First Baptist Church in Camden, TN, she also held the role of director of the F.U.E.L program for Benton County Schools for 10 years. This program provided snacks for over 300 food-insecure students every weekend during the school year.
Recently she started a permanent jewelry business venture, welding custom gold-filled and sterling silver bracelets, anklets, and necklaces. This project provides for the donation of a portion of her sales towards scholarships for students traveling with GCAC. She was one of GCAC’s first co-leaders and has helped craft the training materials for future educators in that role.
Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating global citizens through education, service, and travel. By offering transferable college credit and donor-funded scholarships, GCAC actively builds pathways between rural high schools, universities, and a robust network of global nonprofit partners to provide travel program opportunities to underserved students. For more information visit www.globalcitizenadventurecorps.org.