Director of Youth Services
Pendleton Place
Jennifer Gutierrez-Caldwell has been described as a “change-agent.” As director of Youth Services at Pendleton Place in Greenville, she works to keep children safe and support families in crisis. “Itruly believe that I was put on this earth to make change happen,” she said. “I believe in the rights of people, especially those communities that don’t have a voice or a seat at the table,” she added. Before her work at Pendleton Place she was Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Wofford College and earlier served as Coordinator for Multicultural Recruitment at Furman. As a daughter of immigrant parents, she grew up in Los Angeles, and she chose to live in South Carolina, where she believes she can make a difference.
On the role of women: “I feel like the possibilities are endless. I really believe if you see it, you believe it and you can become it.”
About the Honoree
Jennifer Maria Gutierrez-Caldwell was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Bucknell University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a legal studies concentration and Political Science. After completing her Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania focusing on nonprofit management and social policy, Jennifer moved to South Carolina wanting to apply her skill set to move the state forward. She first worked at Furman University and then led the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Wofford College. Her primary responsibilities were the development and coordination of outreach, awareness, and educational programs and opportunities to promote diversity education and inclusion for Wofford’s campus.
Jennifer now leads the Youth Resource Drop-In center at Pendleton Place. Again, she finds herself in a role that is directly impacting an underserved demographic. The Youth Resource center serves young adults 17-24 experiencing homeless and at greater risk for homelessness. As the daughter of a Salvadoran and Mexican immigrant family, Jennifer not only knows the struggles of underserved communities but also remains dedicated to learning about and becoming an advocate for all marginalized persons. Aside from the concrete positions Jennifer has professionally and organizationally, she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and has previously volunteered with LeadHer, Bridges to a Brighter Future, Upstate Network, and Hispanic Alliance, and any other educational and community service project where she can make an impact. Jennifer plans to continue her quest for social justice and equity for all people.
About Women Vision SC
Women Vision SC is a program that focuses on issues affecting women throughout the state and the nation and a new generation of young people pursuring public service for their communities and the state at large. The program is produced and hosted by former SCETV president Linda O’Bryon.