A La Conner actor is relishing her new off-stage role.

Jessica Pedroza, an integral part of the team that launched the La Conner Schools Drama Club and the Skagit Passage nonprofit storytelling troupe, is settling in as site coordinator for the Braves Hub after-school program.

“We’re super excited about having Jess here,” said Beth Clothier, La Conner Schools director of teaching and learning. “She has so much energy and we’re very pleased with what she brings to us.”

A Gonzaga University graduate, Pedroza is drawing on her experiences as a pre-med student, multi-sport athlete, and theater veteran to oversee the activity-oriented Braves Hub on the southeast edge of the La Conner campus.

“I didn’t know the word pedagogy,” Pedroza freely conceded, referring to the term that addresses the theory and practice of teaching. “But it turns out I had always thought about it. Growing up, I was always thinking about the way things are taught.”

Pedroza’s goals for the program focus on giving students opportunities for growth, community engagement, and what she calls “an attitude of gratitude.” Each month has a theme; September’s is gratitude, with students encouraged to share kindness comments that build confidence and self-esteem.

The start of the school year has seen Pedroza and returning aide Kismet Coons welcome about 40 students, mostly in grades K-5, each Monday through Friday afternoon.

“They’ve been sitting at their desks all day and have energy up to their ears before they get here,” Pedroza said. “They need a chance to get the wiggles out. Play is important.”

Pedroza has scheduled walking field trips to the La Conner Swinomish Library and also hopes to develop programming for middle schoolers. A recent highlight came when a retired music teacher donated several homemade instruments to the Hub.

Pedroza succeeds Chloe Madison, who left when federal 21st Century Grant funds were frozen last summer. The money was later restored for the 2025 school year, the third year of what was intended as a five-year commitment.

“We thought the world of Chloe,” Clothier said. “One reason that Jess is so successful is because of what Chloe put together.”

Clothier credited Pedroza with providing continuity and innovation, noting her creative partnerships and fresh ideas.

Pedroza’s own school memories trace to southern Oregon, where she graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Medford and was introduced to storytelling as a learning tool.

“Stories help make sense of things,” she said. “It’s a great way to learn and it empowers kids.”

At Gonzaga, she initially pursued pre-med courses before shifting to theater arts, where she met her husband, Taylor Pedroza, who has deep La Conner roots.

“He kept telling me how great it is here,” she said. “I figured that this place must be pretty cool. And I do love it here. It feels like home.”

Her father, Dave Clement, also left a mark at Gonzaga, playing basketball from 1982-85 and sinking the winning shot in a 1983 upset over DePaul.

Echoing this month’s Braves Hub theme, Pedroza said she is grateful for the direction her life has taken.

“I’m a firm believer,” she said, “that all the things you do, they all guide you through your life and if you’re open to it, you can learn something. If you have gratitude and an open heart, you can put everything you’ve learned to work for yourself and others.”       

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Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.