The person directing the YMCA summer camp these days is a familiar person to many in the Rockbridge area.
Gwendolyn Heslep Whitmore has dedicated her entire life to serving children and families in or around Rockbridge County.
At 16 she took her first job as a teaching assistant with her favorite social studies teacher and learned early on that it is vital to “not only support the academic foundation for my students, but to nurture the entire child.”
Now, as the Rockbridge Area YMCA childcare director, Whitmore is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that goes beyond academics.
Whitmore grew up in Fairfield, alongside her sister, Erin, and parents Jackie and Gail. Her mother, an educator, and her father, an electrician and factory worker, placed the utmost importance on education.
Under their roof, she attended Fairfield Elementary School and later taught at that same school for two decades. A keepsake painting hangs at the Early Learning Center that first hung in the original Fairfield Elementary School library.
She said, “If you can take care of the child, you’re taking care of the whole family.”
This is the lifeblood of what she aims to achieve at the Rockbridge Area YMCA’s Early Learning Center.
Whitmore began her journey with the Y at Rockbridge in early January 2024, bringing with her a lifelong commitment to the Y as a member throughout her life.
“I felt the position was an extension of my investment in the community, merging my passion for education with service,” Whitmore shared.
In her role at the ELC, Whitmore has already made an impact, working closely with families to create a supportive, family-like culture.
“As a parent it’s incredibly difficult and one feels vulnerable when your heart walks outside of your body,” said Kimberly Jones, a parent of children who enrolled at the Early Learning Center last year. “There is a constant fear of, are they safe, are they loved and will they be treated kindly? The ELC has provided that safeguard for me. I feel safe knowing that my children are looked after by the incredible staff there. They celebrate the victories and help you manage the lows. People often say it takes a village and I have found mine at the ELC. Not only do I know they are safe, they are learning and thriving academically. To me this is a true blessing for my family and the community.”
You won’t just find Whitmore behind a desk or in a classroom — she has always made a dedicated effort to be a part of her students’ lives. Whether it’s attending baseball games, ballet recitals, or birthday parties, she makes sure families know they’re as much a part of her life as she is of theirs.
“I love when a parent calls out to me across a gas station parking lot, or when a child runs over for a hug at the county fair,” Whitmore said.
Choosing to stay close to home, Whitmore holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Mary Baldwin and James Madison University. In her 26 years of educational service, she’s taught first grade, second grade, and worked as a reading specialist. To keep abreast of current trends and support young educators, Whitmore continues to work as an adjunct professor in the teacher education program at Mary Baldwin University.
Her commitment to Rockbridge County is shared by her husband, Neil, a Virginia Military Institute graduate and a Rockbridge County School Board member. The couple has been married for 19 years and lives in Brownsburg with their daughter, Charlotte, 12.
Beyond her role at the ELC, Whitmore is an elder at Bethesda Presbyterian Church and an active member of the Rockbridge Baths Community Organization.
“My faith guides me to support our community however I can,” said Whitmore. “Helping families thrive is my way of giving back to the place that means so much to me.”
