VCU news

By William Lineberry
University College & Honors College

Leslie Jarvis is not afraid of a challenge. Running a small business, pursuing college as an adult learner, advocating for policy change – she does not shy away.

Jarvis will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University this fall with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from University College. She said her studies will enhance her work for new and innovative environmental solutions – both at the business she and her husband founded more than a decade ago, and in her support for governmental action.

“I knew that getting my bachelor’s degree would help put me in a better position,” Jarvis said.

Her path to VCU was shaped by the wisdom and challenge that often accompany adulthood. Jarvis and her husband, Tyrone, were more than a decade into running their Go Green Auto Care in Newport News when their son suffered a sports injury in high school that would result in years of operations and physical therapy.

She took time away from the business to support her son, and the two made a pact: They would enroll in college together – a goal they could work toward in unison.

“We knew that this was something we could do,” Jarvis said. “After my son lost his ability to play sports, it took a major toll on him psychologically, so this gave us something to devote our time and attention to. Thanks to owning our own business, I had the flexibility and time to do this with him.”

Mother and son first enrolled in Virginia Peninsula Community College, where they earned associate degrees, and then began pursuing their bachelor’s degrees at VCU. Jarvis initially viewed college as a means of bolstering her business,  a sustainability-focused and environmentally friendly auto repair shop.

“I was originally going to pursue computer science,” she said, “but then I realized I could tailor a degree to my personal interests and pursue pre-law.”   

In the Interdisciplinary Studies Program through University College, Jarvis combined law, policy, the environment and business into a singular degree. Her capstone focused on measures to preserve and harvest rainwater, with creation of a policy brief as a key element of the project. The brief could serve as a template for advocates in other states where harvesting rainwater remains illegal.

Her VCU studies were framed by experience: Jarvis and her husband had worked with elected officials in Virginia to legalize the harvesting of rainwater, a practice they embrace at their shop.

“Enrolling in IDS was the perfect thing for me,” Jarvis said. “I was able to tailor basically a pre-law program to me that is specific for me and what I want to do. It showed me how my interests in political science, law and environmental sciences, as well as business, overlap.”

Jarvis now hopes to attend law school – and, through her work, ultimately improve the world for future generations. 

“I can help my grandchildren one day meet their grandchildren,” she said. “I think by keeping the water supply sustainable and practicing environmentally friendly practices, I can do that. I just want to be a good steward of the natural resource.”