Dylan Jones '15 Helps Bring Garden-Based Education to Schools
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Dylan Jones ('15) excelled at running back for the Willamette University football team during the 2011 through 2014 seasons. He set a Willamette single season rushing record 1,599 yards, and established a single game rushing record with 350 yards on 30 carries against Whitworth University in 2014.
He broke the school record for the longest rushing play with a 98-yard touchdown run against Linfield College in 2014. He gained 2,857 rushing yards during his WU career, finishing just two yards away from the school record set by Stan Solomon from 1957-60. He led NCAA Division III with 177.7 rushing yards per game as a senior.
Jones was one of four finalists for the 2014 Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded each season to the top football player in NCAA Division III. In addition, Jones was chosen Second Team All-America and First Team All-West Region in 2014 by d3football.com. Also in 2014, Jones was named First Team All-Northwest Conference and was selected as the NWC Offensive Player of the Year. He earned Second Team All-NWC honors in 2012 and was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2013.
In addition, Jones competed as a sprinter in track and field for the Bearcats. He helped Willamette win back-to-back NWC titles in the 4 x 100-meter relay in 2013 and 2014. The winning time of 42:06 seconds in 2013 ranks second on Willamette's all-time list. The winning time of 42.11 seconds in 2014 is tied for third on the all-time list.
Since graduating from Willamette, Jones has gained recognition in his new role working with a non-profit organization called One Cool Earth. It's located in his hometown of Santa Maria, California.
"One Cool Earth ... partners with schools to provide garden-based education," Jones said. "The whole idea is that a school garden can bring the textbooks to life, empower students to make meaningful environmental change, and teach them some healthy habits along the way. Kids who grow their own vegetables are more likely to try them. Kids who eat vegetables are more likely to eat vegetables as an adult, and it's really as simple as that.
"During the growing process, kids get to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts, and that time spent learning about the environment close to home gives them a greater appreciation for it," Jones added.
Jones began working with One Cool Earth about four years ago as a garden educator. Now, he's the executive director.
"My main responsibilities include fundraising, strategic planning, and developing new partners," Jones explained. "The main thing we do is education, so we partner with 16-18 schools per year to provide our services. We also help schools write grants for environmental improvements and have helped districts secure close to $2 million dollars. We work with schools mainly in San Luis County which is the county directly north of Santa Barbara Country (where Santa Maria is)."
While competing as a dual-sport student-athlete at Willamette, Jones was led by many coaches in football and track and field. He appreciated that his coaches showed him how to be successful while helping him improve his athletic skills.
"I had a great relationship with all of the coaches. I had a lot of different coaches throughout those four years," Jones commented. "The main thing for me was that each one of them sincerely cared about my growth as a person. That's what I really loved about my sports experience at Willamette. Of course, they wanted to win, but they really cared about all of the athletes. It made me work that much harder to perform my best because I really felt liked that they had my back and I didn't want to let them down. It might not be unique to Willamette, but it's something that I really cherish."
Jones benefited from support on the field and in the classroom from teammates, coaches, and professors. He received a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and earned a minor in Geography.
"I was never the best student, so first and foremost having that network of support was huge for me," Jones recalled. "Having people to study with and help guide you through those first semesters was very important to me. A big thing about my experience a lot of people might not know is that the first year was very hard for me, both academically and in my personal life. I'm from the central coast of California where the weather is pretty much 65-75 degrees and it doesn't rain often. I know Salem doesn't have the worst weather, and I didn't travel the furthest from home, but it was a huge adjustment period for me. Without my teammates, I'm not sure I would've been able to get my degree at that time."
During his four years at Willamette, Jones accomplished many things as a student-athlete. He's taken everything that he learned at Willamette and has applied it to his work with One Cool Earth. As a Bearcat athlete, he seemed to move up the field with ease as he gained big chunks of yardage for the Bearcats. He suggested that it wasn't they simple.
"I'd like to say it was just a lot of hard work, but the truth is I've had amazing support my whole life," Jones said. "My parents are incredible. My mom has been to most of my athletic events in my life and is always the loudest person cheering in the crowd. My dad started coaching me in high school in both track and football. It's really hard to skip practice when your dad is at every one of them. I also had some really great coaches in high school who always challenged me to succeed.
"The biggest thing about my stats is I don't have regrets about what I accomplished ... okay there's a few," Jones continued. "My senior year in track wasn't great, and I really wanted to be a First Team All-American and get that Gagliardi Trophy (in football). The stats are nice, but the memories they bring up when I see them are what's really important. I remember all of those games and track meets. It's really a pleasure to look back on."
Even when he's not working at One Cool Earth, Jones enjoys gardening. He also appreciates being able to spend time with his wife Rebbeca Jones and their dog Shadow. Dylan and Rebecca celebrated their one-year anniversary in October of 2020.