Huntley Hudgens, a sophomore from Fayetteville Arkansas, is an Anthropology/Sociology major with a very unique purpose. She chose this major to increase her knowledge of general studies and avoid limiting herself to one specific area—“I don’t want to commit to a career..I want to live, explore, and be intellectually stimulated forever more,” she says.
This type of attitude is exactly what got her the Bonner Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship awarded to only 60 students nation-wide. As a Bonner scholar she is required to do 10 hours of community service a week. Originally, she worked at Revolutions, a bike co-op that builds and provides bikes to local Memphis citizens. But she now volunteers somewhere she feels more personally engaged: the YWCA’s Abused Women’s Service Program.
Twice a week Huntley spends her afternoons working with women – primarily undocumented Hispanic women – who have filed for restraining orders due to domestic abuse. Her time is divided between the court cases and prepping the women for court—how to act, appropriate responses and generally explaining the process.
The huge risk the Hispanic women face in approaching a foreign court system and government is incredible. The risk of being deported is always there, for them and their abusers. These women are undocumented, expected to take care of their children, facing a language barrier, living in poverty, and being beaten by their husbands. But they still bravely face the court to change their condition. It takes a very strong person, like Huntley, to deal with this all. She says she has to “detach [herself] but be able to empathize and remain professional” all at the same time.
Huntley says her Gender and Society Class last fall is what really got her interested in exploring this field. It solidified her desire to “change the world for women” and to Huntley, volunteering and sharing even the smallest amount of your time is the way to do that. Working with the YWCA has been a huge growing process for Huntley. Her motto is: “keep learning so I can keep moving.” She says the experience “drives [her and] keeps [her] awake and in tune with what’s happening in our society and what still needs to change.”
Deep passion has driven Huntley to prosper and make a difference in these women’s lives. But as much as she is changing their lives, they are also changing hers. This “rich learning experience,” as she calls it, enables Huntley to be an active participant of social change in the local and national community.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rhodes chapter.