Meet Jae: Getting to know our new Associate Board Vice Chair

Jenae Alderson (she goes by Jae) played volleyball at the Division I level, where coaches, mentors, and teammates helped shape who she became, both as an athlete and as a person. Now, as ACES' new Associate Board Vice Chair, she's paying that forward. We interviewed Jae to talk about what brought her to ACES, the moments that have stuck with her, and what she's looking forward to this year. Here's a glimpse of our conversation.

What inspired you to get involved with ACES and give your time to the organization?

Jae as a student athlete at Providence College.

My own experience as a Division I student-athlete is a huge part of what inspired me to get involved with ACES. I was fortunate to have coaches, mentors, professors, and teammates who invested in me and helped me navigate not only college athletics, but also who I was becoming outside of sport. I know how much that support can change someone’s trajectory, and I wanted to find a way to give that same feeling of encouragement and possibility to someone else.

I was also really inspired by the people I met through ACES, especially Tyler Parsons. I was volunteering alongside Tyler, and watching the way he showed up for students and for the organization—just genuinely being a good human being - made an impression on me. I remember thinking that these were the kinds of people I wanted to surround myself with and learn from. Seeing the heart that people brought to the work made me want to become more involved myself.

ACES felt like a natural fit because it combines two things I care deeply about: athletics and helping young people recognize their own potential. I love being part of an organization that understands that showing up for a student can mean so much more than helping them succeed in a program - it can help them see what is possible for their future.

What does giving back to your community mean to you personally?

To me, giving back means recognizing that I didn’t get where I am on my own. There were so many people who invested their time, energy, knowledge, and belief in me throughout my life, and I feel a responsibility to carry that forward.

My faith is also a big part of how I think about service. I try to lead with God in my heart and let that guide the way I show up for other people - with humility, compassion, and a willingness to serve without expecting anything in return. I don’t think giving back is about telling people what to believe; for me, it’s about putting my values into action and treating people with kindness, dignity, and care and allowing that to guide them or show them to their own passion, whatever that might be.

It doesn't always have to be something huge. Sometimes it is simply showing up, listening, encouraging someone, or helping create an opportunity that someone may not have had otherwise. I think community is built through those small, consistent moments of people choosing to invest in one another.

What have you gotten back from volunteering or serving on the ACES Associate Board?

Jae at Jalen Travis’ Next is NOW Leadership Summit, supporting ACES’ students

I’ve gotten a lot more than I expected. One of the biggest things has been perspective. Being around the students and seeing the work ACES does has reminded me how important it is to create spaces where young people feel seen, listened to, supported, and confident in who they are. Sometimes, simply having someone genuinely listen to you and believe in you can make a bigger impact than you realize.

I’ve also built relationships with people I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. Serving on the Associate Board has pushed me to use different skills, think creatively, collaborate with people with different perspectives, and become more comfortable stepping into leadership. But honestly, one of the biggest things I’ve gotten back is a renewed sense of purpose - and a reminder that the way we show up for others can have a lasting impact.

Is there a moment or experience with ACES that has really stuck with you?

Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one because I’ve found that almost every event or activity where I get to spend time with the kids leaves me with something. I love seeing their excitement, curiosity, and confidence grow when they are given the opportunity to try something new or experience something they may not have otherwise had access to.

A few moments that really stand out are the Next Is Now project with Jalen Travis, the Paige Bueckers surprise appearance when her court was completed, and the ACES Olympics. Seeing the kids get to meet someone like Paige, who grew up right here in Minnesota, was such a special moment. There is something powerful about being able to look at someone from your own community and think, maybe I can do that too. The Olympics was another great reminder of how much kids can accomplish when they are encouraged, supported, and surrounded by people cheering them on.

I also really enjoyed the Soccer STEM Day with St. Kate’s and the MN United Team. It was so fun to see education and athletics come together and watch the kids explore the physics behind something they already love. It was a great reminder that learning doesn’t have to feel separate from the things that excite us - in fact, the two can work together really naturally.

Those experiences have reinforced for me that the activity itself is only part of what ACES is doing. It is creating opportunities for kids to feel seen, try something new, build confidence, and recognize that they are capable of more than they may have initially thought. And honestly, I’m excited knowing there are so many more moments like these still to come.

What do you wish more people knew about getting involved in their community?

You don't have to have everything figured out or have a huge amount of time to make a difference. I think people sometimes assume that volunteering requires a major commitment or a specific skill set, when really, there is value in simply showing up.

Find something you care about, bring what you can, and be willing to learn. You may be surprised by how much you get back from giving your time to something bigger than yourself.

When you're not volunteering or working, what's something you love to do?

I love staying active and finding ways to be around the sports and people I love. I’m currently still finding ways to coach and play, which gives me a chance to stay connected to a sport that has given me so much throughout my life. I also love working out and mixing it up between lifting, running, and HIIT workouts. I’m still trying to figure out what people love so much about running, so naturally, I’ve decided the best way to find out is to sign up for races and force myself to figure it out! Maybe a HYROX is in my future, but no thoughts on that just yet...

Jae with Associate Board member, Ben Yoch and TC Bear at All-Star Evening

I also love spending time with friends, listening to music, reading on my new Kindle, and keeping up with The Daily from NPR and Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam. I love anything that makes me think, teaches me something new, or gives me a different perspective on people and the world around me.

And, being with my family, which usually involves bowling with my family! Bowling is another sport I get to enjoy with my family, and I love that it gives us something fun to do together. Outside of that, I love spending time with my family, my amazing boyfriend, my beautiful fur-daughter (cat, of course), practicing yoga, getting outside, and working on all kinds of house projects. Right now, my boyfriend and I are working on building a garage from scratch - which is definitely a project! So, if anyone wants to help, feel free to reach out. 

What are you most looking forward to this year at ACES? 

I’m really looking forward to continuing to build community within ACES and seeing some of the ideas we’ve talked about as an Associate Board actually come to life. I’m especially excited about creating events and experiences that bring people together, whether that’s students, volunteers, board members, or the broader community. I’d love everyone to be a part of making the students lives - it takes a village they say.

I’m also excited to continue growing in my role on the Associate Board and learning from the other people involved. There are so many different perspectives and experiences around the table, and I think there is a lot of potential when we bring all of that together.

What does ACES mean to you?

To me, ACES is about possibility. It’s about giving young people opportunities to discover things about themselves, build relationships, and realize that their circumstances don’t have to define what they are capable of.

As someone who benefited so much from having people in my corner when I was younger, being able to now be one of those people for someone else is incredibly meaningful to me. That’s why I’m proud to be part of ACES.

If you would like to know more about the Associate Board or volunteering with ACES, please get in touch! Contact Kristin Van Dorn, Director of Development and Communications at: kristinvandorn@aces4kids.org