Register, Charlie

Roberts, John

English

Furman University

Furman MagazineVolume 43Issue 2 Summer 2000 Article 96-1-2000Tried & true: Children's advocateJohn RobertsFurman UniversityCharlie RegisterFurman UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazineThis Regular Feature is made available online by Journals, part of the Furman University Scholar Exchange (FUSE). It has been accepted for inclusionin Furman Magazine by an authorized FUSE administrator. For terms of use, please refer to the FUSE Institutional Repository Guidelines. For moreinformation, please contact scholarexchange@furman.edu.Recommended CitationRoberts, John and Register, Charlie (2000) "Tried & true: Children's advocate," Furman Magazine: Vol. 43 : Iss. 2 , Article 9.Available at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazine/vol43/iss2/914 The Washington Program, established by Furman's political science department i n  1 980, has provided more than 500 students the opportunity to work in government and policy-related internships. The jobs help students understand the inner workings of government and gain valuable contacts in Washington, D.C.  Most of the internships are with governmental agencies or law firms. So it was unusual when Raegan Woodson chose a different path. During the summer of 1 999, while many of her Furman classmates dashed off in suits and office attire to work in big office bui ldings, Woodson put on more comfortable clothes and commuted to a much different part of the city. An urban studies major with an interest in non-profit service agencies, she signed on as a volunteer and intern at a pediatric center that cares for children whose l ives have been affected, in one way or another, by the H I V  virus. Woodson, a native of Lawton, Okla., spent much of her internship coordinating an after-school program for the children at the c linic, which is located in a disadvantaged section of the city. M uch of her time, she says, was spent interacting and playing games with the children. When she wasn ' t  working directly with the children, Woodson wrote grant applications, answered the phones and provided administrative assistance to the small staff. Some of the children at the clinic were infected with H I V; others had a fam i ly member stricken with the fatal virus. She says she grew to love the chi ldren, many of whom turned to her for counsel ing, affection and guidance. Woodson even attended the funeral of one 8-year-old's mother who had died of A I DS. She calls the period "a real t ime of brokenness." The job's 1 2-hour days left her exhausted. but it also expanded her horizons and exposed her to a world that most Furman students would never see. It was a harsh but eye-opening form of engaged learning. At night. she and her Furman friends would recap their days and discuss oftice politics and workplace gossip. "My roommates would tell me about troubles at their job, and I would j ust think back to what some of those chi ldren were going through," Woodson says. 'The job really put things i n  perspective. It  wasn't something that I was physically or emotionally prepared for." Woodson persevered, though, and earned rave reviews from her supervisors. More importantly, she found her call ing.  After she completed the internship and returned to Furman last fall for her senior year, Woodson could not escape thoughts of the clinic and the chi ldren. "I j ust can' t  wait to get back there," she said this spring. And now she is .  Woodson, who graduated in May, has returned to Washington with Americorps, the domestic Peace Corps, and is continuing her work with children affected by the HIV virus. She hopes eventually to attend medical school and ulti mately become a public advocate for these chi ldren. - John Roberts 

Tried & true: Children\u27s advocate

https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3263&amp;context=furman-magazine

Tried & true: Children\u27s advocate

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Furman University