FOR A GREATER RICHMOND

Richard Hankins ’13 shares his story of advocacy and passion for public transportation in RVA

Richard Hankins ’13 returned to Trinity to speak in Chapel on the morning of Monday, October 24. Hankins shared the story of his career path from a geographic information systems (GIS) major at the University of Miami to his current role as a public-transit advocate working for the local nonprofit RVA Rapid Transit. Hankins was featured in the Miami Herald for the 24-hour bus marathon he and a colleague made in 2018 to document the good, the bad and the ugly of the public transit system in Miami.

“Even in the most walkable neighborhoods in America, not owning a car bars you from so many job opportunities, grocery stores, pharmacies, and I don’t think that’s right,” said Hankins. “My thesis in life for my work is that no one should be a second-class citizen because they don’t have a car.”

As part of his motivation for this work, Hankins cited a 2012 study by the Brookings Institute that ranked Richmond 92nd out of the top 100 metropolitan areas in terms of transit giving access to people for jobs. Hankins then shared recordings of stories told by actual riders of the Richmond area’s buses to illustrate the challenges they face. “So many people want to work these jobs that will help them get out of poverty and gain upward mobility," he said, “but they can’t because they can’t afford a car, and the bus doesn’t go where the jobs are.”

Another of his organization’s aims is to encourage local transit authorities to provide dedicated places to wait with dignity for a bus. “Only 5% of the stops have shelters, and only 20% have benches,” he said, “and for the elderly and disabled, that’s really hard for them.”

He concluded by encouraging all students who live near a GRTC line, to try taking the bus. “I promise you it’s not as scary or jarring as it might seem to be,” he said.

Brian Griffen, school chaplain, concluded the Chapel by thanking Hankins for being such a strong ambassador of Trinity’s values of neighborliness and altruism. “On behalf of all Titan Nation, we want to say just how proud we are of you and your work,” said Griffen. “In this Chapel, you really showcased the IB Learner Profile and what it means to be a global citizen.”

Discover your path murmurs through the walls of Trinity as frequently as green and blue are worn on campus the Friday of a Titan gameday. All Titans share their own interpretation of Trinity’s slogan. But for Thomas Eaves ’07, it is a literal translation.

In April, Eaves will embark on forging his own path up an unclimbed mountain in Alaska. It will be his fourth trip to Alaska and just the second time he’s attempted to find a new way up a descent.

“The area that we’re going to, it’s next to Denali National Park,” Eaves said. “Hence why a lot of it is undiscovered, because everyone goes to Denali.”

What sparked Eaves' motivation was a simple case of FOMO, or the fear of missing out. Posts from friends on social media sparked an immediate interest in the current software developer.

“I saw a lot of posts on social media and I thought to myself, ‘I can do that, but I can probably do that better,’” Eaves said.

In May 2019, Eaves landed in the southwest corner of Denali National Park. The 14-hour excursion on the Alaskan ridge saw him travel over 10.5 miles and experience a total elevation gain and loss of 4,200 feet. While a hike like this sounds physically exhausting, it takes mental fortitude to power through a journey of such magnitude.“The mountains call out the worst in you and if you