Courtney Ralston Biochemistry Brooke Ramsey Exercise Science David Ramsey Mechanical Engineering Bethany Reeves Child & Family Sciences Amanda Reynolds General Studies Amanda Rice Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Dustin Richter Exercise Science Cooper Riggs Nursing Christy Ritchie Early/Mid-Level Math Amy Roberts Social Sciences Licensure Ethan Robson Communication Sciences & Disorders Zachary Roddenberry Social Sciences Licensure Claudia Rodezno Marketing Maria Rodriguez Marketing Amberly Rogers Nursing Locked Up Senior Trey McClain spends his summer working at a juvenile dentention center S enior social work major Trey McClain worked at a juvenile detention center in New York City during summer 2012. He interacted with young people from differing backgrounds placed in the detention center for their crimes. McClain encountered a lot of the difficulties inherent in working for a detention center and said he learned more in one challenging summer at the detention center than in the three school years leading up to his work there. "Working for the juvenile detention center is not for the faint of heart," McClain said. Senior fellow Sub T-16 member Bruce McMullen said McClain's character and love for the Lord made him an excellent candidate for a position demanding interaction with troubled teens. McMullen said McClain was a "thoughtful and strongwilled person who is firm in his approach and realistic about circumstance," as well as a person dedicated to his friends and family. At the detention center, the kids were 11 to 21 years old. The older kids were challenging for McClain, since he was only slightly older than them. He had never encountered peers with a minimal sense of responsibility and no apparent desire to change that. McClain had to enforce rules such as bedtimes and homework time. Irresponsibility was only one troubling element of the detention center. The kids were also difficult to control and frequently hostile. McClain used several methods to calm down the kids, but he was grateful that he never had to restrain any of them. The methods the detention center officials employed to physically restrain the kids were far from gentle. The kids were unpredictable, though, leading to some tense and frightening moments for McClain. "These kids are their own individual ticking time bombs of destruction," McClain said. "Each kid has his own trigger. One kid doesn't like to be yelled at. One kid doesn't like his food to be touched. One kid doesn't like people being close to him. You may live in a house with twelve kids with twelve different triggers just trying to survive." Although his work was no easy task, McClain said he would recommend working for a juvenile detention center to anyone. "I feel like it's an experience that every person needs to at least go through because it really tests you emotionally," McClain said. Senior Milton Stewart, who met McClain his freshman year on the track team, praised McClain as a man of character and a loyal friend. "Trey's character is amazing," Stewart said. "Talk about a man who loves deeply and has a heart to serve people around him. If you ever need help, Trey will be there quickly. Trey is a friend that loves unconditionally. That has influenced me because Trey shows it through his actions and not just words." McClain said working at the detention center was perfect for a social work major, and it showed him that he wanted to do that sort of work for the rest of his life. Though many people warned him of the difficulties of social work and encouraged him to try it out before committing to it, the experience of working for the juvenile detention center only strengthened his conviction to do social work for the rest of his life. KoryHoward Seniors 1129
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