Ms. Autumn Esposito Bedwell

Autumn Esposito Bedwell is the proud daughter of a director of vocational education. She is also a fourth-generation descendant of self-made immigrants who initiated several long-running businesses in the vocational realm, including a construction company and a meat market, where Autumn worked most of her childhood and all of her teen years.

After attaining an English education degree in 1987, Autumn was employed in various private and public school positions. She then received her adult education endorsement and taught for an adult education program both day and evening, starting as a part-time GED instructor and quickly attaining the full-time positions of Adult Education Specialist followed by Adult Education Coordinator.

Autumn started writing grant proposals in 1991 when she began working with the Even Start Federal Preschool Program. Collaborating closely with her then-director and present fellow JASVF board member Joyce P. Jones, the duo prepared and received grants that provided staff salaries and adult education student support services, including van transportation service for students of limited mobility, and an onsite daycare for children under pre-school age. 

The Virginia Department of Education has honored Autumn with several statewide awards, including Adult Educator of the Year and the SOAR Award for Curriculum Development. After working with Even Start, Autumn continued to instruct at the Fort Lee Army Education Center, Riverside Regional Jail, Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, The Literacy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, and RVA READ, formerly the Richmond READ Center. 

In 2018, Autumn earned a master’s degree in library science to become a public librarian and completed endorsement coursework in 2023 to become a school librarian. Autumn’s work over the past four decades - as a middle school, high school, and alternative education instructor, adult educator, public and school librarian, family literacy specialist, READ RVA tutor, and grant proposal writer - illustrates her passion for helping others achieve their educational and career goals to lead their best lives.