Volunteer Spotlight on Mike and Chunyen
July 9, 2024 | Wolf Trap Volunteers
Husband and wife Mike Espey and Chunyen Chang have greatly contributed to the Wolf Trap’s vibrant volunteer program since joining as volunteers in 2022. They return each season because of the satisfaction they get from giving back to an organization that has provided them with enjoyable musical experiences since the late 1980s.
With active and retired careers in science, research, and technology, Mike and Chunyen bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and fun to volunteering.
Volunteer Impact
For Mike and Chunyen, volunteering at Wolf Trap is about positively impacting the patron experience. The two feel privileged to live in proximity to the park because they regularly contribute to safe and memorable entertainment outings for guests. But it is about more than just the visitors for Mike and Chunyen.
“In particular, it is rewarding to have small mentorship opportunities with the young seasonal staff and see them grow each year,” says Mike.
Mike and Chunyen find joy at Wolf Trap in more than just the music, but in the safety, happiness, and growth of visitors and staff alike.
Leading by Example
Their volunteerism has not gone unnoticed, as Mike received Wolf Trap Foundation’s “Outstanding New Gift Shop Volunteer Award” in 2022 in recognition of his willingness to adapt according to the needs of the business. Often, even after Mike’s concessions stand shift was complete, he would head over to the gift shop to support closing tasks of that operation, storing supplies, inventorying items, and working with patrons.
Mike excelled yet again in the 2023 season, serving over 150 hours and being recognized as the volunteer with the most hours worked that summer.
In addition to volunteering with the Foundation, Mike and Chunyen serve as ushers with the National Park Service. This summer you can find Mike and Chunyen, with smiling faces, ushering in the Prime Orchestra section of the Filene Center or working at the Meadow Commons Concessions Stand.
Giving Back
Mike and Chunyen are no strangers to serving their communities and leading teams. “We are strong advocates for public service,” says Mike.
Apart from managing major research projects for the National Cancer Institute, Mike helps private foundations support rising investigators, conducts career development outreach with professional scientific societies, and volunteers in peer review for biomedical research journals.
Chunyen, since finishing her career in project management with Unisys and Molina Healthcare, is a servant leader in her own right. She is very active with GrandInvolve, an organization that helps vulnerable students achieve grade-level performance, and she organizes local charity activities for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.
Wolf Trap provides Mike and Chunyen a place to explore an “eclectic pallet of music genres” and serves as an outlet for their love of giving back.
Joy in the Community
Wolf Trap volunteers provide essential services to the Foundation and National Park Service while discovering a warm community among concertgoers, volunteers, and staff peers.
According to Mike, “to be immersed in the distinct uniqueness of fans who are drawn to the different music genres is so interesting and fun.” Mike and Chunyen are especially fulfilled by the bonds that form from shared experiences with staff and volunteers and by strengthening those relationships each summer.
Joining the volunteer team at Wolf Trap creates unforgettable moments. One such example was when Mike used supplies from his concession stand to assist a diabetic customer in recovering from an emergency. Another highlight for Mike and Chunyen is dancing “deluxe Wolf Burger-fueled” cha-chas on the Filene Center Plaza during electrifying shows.
Wolf Trap volunteers like Mike and Chunyen find community, purpose, and excitement at the park. They advocate, “What you give, you will get back many-fold.” They draw from their leadership and volunteer experiences to ensure Wolf Trap is an inviting place for everyone, from the Filene Center seats to the gift shop!
Read more about the volunteer program and apply to serve on wolftrap.org. If you have any questions about volunteering at Wolf Trap, please call 703.255.1927 or email volunteer@wolftrap.org.
If you’d like to usher at the Filene Center, be a nature guide, or help with patron services, the National Park Service offers a separate volunteer program.
Volunteer Spotlight on Chris Temple
September 3, 2024 | Wolf Trap Volunteers
Discovering the Magic of Wolf Trap
Chris Temple’s experience with Wolf Trap started long before her time as a volunteer. Her earliest memories aretaking her now-grown children to Children’s Theater-in-the-Woods and having picnics by the stream. This memory shaped her love of Wolf Trap.
The great music keeps her coming back too. She especially enjoys going to a show she knows nothing about and getting to experience something completely new. Hearing Queen Latifah perform in 2018 was a definite highlight; Chris says it was some of the best live music she had ever experienced.
Chris’ favorite part about volunteering—which she strives to do twice a week—is interacting with Wolf Trap patrons. She likes answering questions; she is able to anticipate them before they are asked, a skill she picked up from her years of airline work. She also loves hearing first-time patrons say, “This place is gorgeous, and I never knew it was here.”
A Lifetime of Service
Chris was born into a military family in Oxford, Pennsylvania and has always been committed to service. She participated in Girl Scouts as a child, and when asked as a scout what her ideal job would be, said, “I would love to be a volunteer coordinator!”
Chris brings a variety of skills to Wolf Trap. A longtime nature lover, she received her BA in Environmental Sciences from the University of Delaware in 1975 and worked as a pioneer in the field of acid rain research at University of Virginia in the 1970s.
She was also an airline reservation specialist (back when you still had to make a phone call to book a plane ticket) and worked at a credit union until she retired and decided to volunteer in her community. Chris currently also volunteers at the Dulles Airport help desk and is a certified master gardener, bringing her knowledge and talents to local farmers’ markets.
Chris enjoys working with the other Foundation volunteers, and even recruited one of her fellow master gardeners to join the group. She loves how appreciated the National Park Service and Foundation staff make her feel.
Chris’ biggest piece of advice is, “Come and be part of the Wolf Trap community. There is so much more to Wolf Trap than just seeing a show. Being part of the only national park for the performing arts is amazing and a testament to a great place and group of people. Thanks, Catherine Shouse!"
Chris, seated on the far right, and other Wolf Trap Foundation Volunteers assist patrons in renting lawn seat cushions before a Wolf Trap performance.
Read more about the volunteer program and apply to serve on wolftrap.org. If you have any questions about volunteering at Wolf Trap, please call 703.255.1927 or email volunteer@wolftrap.org.
If you’d like to usher at the Filene Center, be a nature guide, or help with patron services, the National Park Service offers a separate volunteer program.