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Practicing the grace of giving
Kathy Smith and Phillip Fritts compare notes during an interpersonal communication class. After health issues forced her to reconsider becoming a nurse, Smith enrolled in the Human Services degree program at Southern Wesleyan University with the goal of entering the social work field.
Reading assignments, projects, papers and exams are among the pressures faced daily by college students.
Then there are those students who juggle coursework with jobs and family responsibilities. One Southern Wesleyan University student is facing this challenge while battling multiple health issues at the same time.
Kathie Smith wanted to enter a nursing program because she loves to help other people, but diabetes and hours of daily dialysis means she is unable to meet the physical demands of the field. For three days a week, Smith must spend 3-4 hours at a dialysis clinic in Anderson. Having lost most of her kidney function, Smith is on a transplant waiting list. She hopes one day to be able to do home dialysis, but would need to have another adult at her home in case she encounters any problems with her blood pressure or loses consciousness.
Still wanting to help others, Smith decided to pursue a career in social work. At the urging of a friend who attends SWU, Kathy enrolled in the Human Services program at Southern Wesleyan University in Central and started classes in January.
As her classmates and professors got to know Kathy, they became aware of her situation. Among them were Phillip Fritts, Student Government Association president, and Dr. Betty Mealy, her Interpersonal Communication professor.
Fritts mentioned Kathy’s need to the SGA meeting and they approved $500. SGA is also considering the possibility of fundraisers to help her meet mounting medical bills.
“Although it is important to go on behalf of the students to improve issues such as food quality, book prices and campus security we need to remember the actual student. SGA exists to not only be the voice for the students but we exist to serve our fellow student in their good times as well as times of crisis,” said Fritts.
“I had no idea they wanted to help me,” Smith said. “The professor had us talking in the classroom and I did mention to them about the dialysis.” Balancing coursework with a job and visits to the dialysis clinic is a challenge, but Smith asserts that she wants to succeed in her degree program and enter her chosen field.
She sees others with more challenging physical disabilities and reasons that if they can do it, so can she.
“I’m thinking if she can go to school and get a degree – come on – anybody can basically get a degree. If your mind is capable of handling the material, you can get a degree. You can’t use your handicap as a crutch. You want to better yourself,” Smith said.