REV. DR. VIRGIL M. WOODS

I remember the days of jumping in the back of a station wagon with a packed lunch and no seatbelts headed towards our next destination.  Little did I know how much these trips would shape my life and inform my imagination.

I was raised by a single mother in a very humble household.  My mother, an educator by trade, thought it was vital that my sister and I see more of the world than the small Iowa neighborhood we grew up in.

She understood very simply that you will never exercise an option that you do not know exists.  Our mother wanted us to see the entire world as an option.

I have met hundreds of kids who have never been on a plane and many who have never been beyond a few dozen miles of their home.  Knowing that it’s hard to imagine yourself in a world you have never seen, I want to change that.

My personal hope is that this organization will play a vital role in empowering and encouraging those students who suffer from a lack of travel opportunities, and ultimately a lack of exposure. My prayer is that you will partner with me on this journey.