NEWS
The Red & Black | Thursday, April 29, 2010 | 5
World travel on grad’s horizon Scholarship launches trip By SARAH GIARRATANA THE RED & BLACK
Courtesy Mary Catherine Hawks
S Senior Mary Catherine Hawks, center, works with children while she prepares for a job with the Department of Family and Children Services.
Graduate to help abused kids By ASPEN SMITH THE RED & BLACK With graduation just around the corner, University senior Mary Catherine Hawks is gearing up for more than just a cap and gown. Despite a sour job market, Hawks has found a place to begin pursuing her career goals. On May 16, Hawks will start her first post-graduation job as the case manager for the Athens-Clarke County Department of Family and Children Services. With a major in social work, she looks forward to helping provide safer homes and living conditions for children living in abusive circumstances. “I think it’s definitely a good job,” she said. “I’ll be doing something with the population I want to work with.” As of now, Hawks is unsure whether she will be
working in the child abuse investigations department or in the foster care and adoption department. Of the two, she said she would rather work in foster care and adoption because she would be able to get to know the kids she works with. “It’s more of a helping role instead of an investigatory role,” she said. “I can form more stable relationships with children.” By interning for a year with the Madison County Department of Family and Children Services, Hawks gained experience in her field, which she said has trained her for her new job. She said University organizations also prepared her for the workplace. Hawks served as secretary for the service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma, a resident assistant for Brumby and a representative for Volunteer UGA.
She also participated in Alternative Spring Break. But her academic career may not be over yet. Hawks said she may pursue law school or graduate school for social work after she gets some experience. “I’d like to go back to school,” she said. “I’m taking a work break.” Ally Walls, a senior in Gamma Sigma Sigma, said she knows many seniors with little luck finding jobs. “The economy is definitely on everyone’s mind,” she said. “The people who have found jobs are pretty relieved.” Hawks is one of the fortunate ones. Walls said social work is the perfect field for Hawks because of her concern for people. “I think Mary Catherine has a desire to help people in everything she does,” Walls said. “People will be able to see that in her.”
With her bright blonde hair pulled back, a wide smile and a camera in one hand, University alumna Natalie Webb is a force to be reckoned with. Selected for STA Travel’s 2010 World Traveler Internship, Webb and Chicago-resident Casey Hudetz will spend three months visiting an array of countries including such exotic locales as Peru, Brazil, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, Egypt and multiple nations in Western Europe. Applying on a whim after finding the internship through her brother’s Facebook, Webb’s decision to apply led to what she described as a “dream come true.” “When I found out, just wow, I was like, ‘I believe in miracles,’” Webb said. “My mom screamed on the phone and started tearing up because she knows it was such a dream of mine, and to have a dream like that come true was such a surreal feeling.” All expenses for the trip are paid, and both Hudetz and Webb will spend their trip blogging, taking photos and making videos of their experiences. STA will post these items online at worldtravelerintern.com. Webb grew up watching shows on The Travel Channel, and she said she’s wanted to be a travel host since age 5. “In an ideal world, I’d love to be part of the production or behind the scenes,” Webb said of working in travel media. “I think this could be a really good thing to get that foot in the door or will be a really great experience that I can take
to work at any sort of travel PR agency.” After graduating in 2008 with a degree in public relations, Webb spent one summer working in the marketing field and two years working for the Wesley Foundation’s Freshman Ministry at the University. “I will be watching every single blog post and video post, without a doubt,” Wesley’s Freshman Ministry Director Stephen Byerly said. “Natalie Webb has changed peoples’ lives and will continue to do so.” Driven by an urge to connect with people and explore the world’s diversity, Webb fostered a love of travel before even thinking about the internship. She has already traveled to 14 countries in her lifetime. “I think travel is an incredible opportunity to expand your horizons and be immersed into culture,” Webb said. “I did study abroad with UGA at Oxford and UGA España. You are just exposed to so many different cultures of people, but you also discover that life is so similar.” Even in the middle of a busy workday — with neon poster scraps, craft supplies and stacks of food covering the buildings at the Wesley Foundation —
Webb maintains her passion for people and students. “Natalie impacted the entire ministry just with her light and joy,” Byerly said. “When she walks in the room, people are just happier, full of joy and have smiles on their faces. Natalie has all this light within her, and she’s going to take that wherever she goes.” Webb said she is motivated to continue to tour the world because of the intimate connections she can make with different people across nations and cultures. “Go and see different places in the world just to be able to understand that you are a part of something so much bigger,” Webb advised. “The world doesn’t revolve around the Athens bubble that sometimes I feel we can get caught up in.” Both interns will start their trips May 31, and Webb said she is excited but apprehensive about such a major change. “I’ve been in Athens for six years, and I have two weeks before this massive life change,” Webb said. “It’s a little overwhelming, but the benefits outweigh the costs. I couldn’t really think of a better job, and I am so pumped.”