KATHY HELPENSTILL WORDS Megan Ledbe11t. · 1 I PHOTOS Abigail Cooper During 19 years of teaching at Harding, Kathy Helpenstill, associate professor of behavioral sciences, has used her social work exp:::rit'nce in oncology, hospice and acute psychiatry to teach students how to see humanity through a different lens. onstantly working. alongside the Department of Human Services and being an ambassador to the community through the Child Safety Center of White C unty (a project started by her community practice class in 2007), she has been a role model, mentor and friend to students \\ ho leaYc her cla~sr om prepared to ser e others. Because of her unwavering love for her students and her desire to make the world a rruly berrcr place. the tudent body unequivocall) dedicates this 94th Petitjean to Kathy Helpenstill. MEGAN LEDBETTER: Why hd ~\)u choose social work? KATHY HELPENSTILL: ":-- r\' ,cry first semester !of college] I took sociology, and Twas h1x,kcd. I came in as a family and consumer sciences major, and 1changed ic the next semester to social work. I took intro to social work. and I ha,·e just been rolling ever since. I am very much the poster child for social ,vork because, as hard as it is, it's never the same day t\ i. e, and I just feel like my Ii e i so much richer for understanding pcorie anJ understanding life and just experiencing what people experience.'' ML: How does your experience in the field of social work prepare you for what you do at I lardmg? KH: "Students can ask me abom mental illness, and f can talk about that; people can ask me about child abuse, ,1nd I can talk about that; people can talk to me about sexual abuse, and I can talk ab ut that. 1 ju.t feel like all of that jnpcriencej brought me to where I am, but then al. n m:1kcs me more acce. sible. I- .. ] l have done a lot, and even rhough I have been in academia for 20 years, 1 am still doing a lot, and I chink that helps me to keep my finger on the pulse of things chat are rclati,·e. [.. . j And I don't m an any of that to toot my own horn, bur my point is that when we open oursel es up to God's w1ll - and my prayer is constantly, 'Let me be your vessel,' - then it just becomes a ride. ome of it is terrifying and ome of it is heartbreaking and ome of it puts you on a cliff, but then He alway equip and provide a support team, whatever it take to get through that. Even as a social worker, how d you listen to that and keep going? That is really what I feel like is the macro level of what God has brought me through and brought me to and my mission. I larding is my mission field to turn out workers that can address the needs, but I try to do it b} example and not just by textbook theory.' ML: What keep you teaching among everything else you do in the field of social work? KH: "I [often] ask people, mentors or colleagues I respect, 'Are we copping out? e we taking the easy way out b sitting here in a classroom with a nice comfy chairs and nice desk and a nine to five schedule? Is this really where we are supposed to be or are we supposed to be doing something bigger, better, different?' Everybody says the same thing. 'You are put here for a reason. You have the expe1ience and the perspective. That is the best teacher. It is not all about theory and models. It is about reality; therefore, you can make a difference by teaching people to be good social workers.' Probably one of my big struggles is wanting to be in the field but " anting to equip people for reality." ML: Is there an overarching le on you try to teach all your students? KH: "People come first. It is not the addiction. It's not the crime. It's not the behavior. It's the people. When we see people as the same as us, then there is no difference. If you see an abused kid, that could be your kid, so what are you going to do about it? If you see an elderly person that is being neglected, that is your grandmother. I feel like we belong to each other, and we are not polarizing Democrats and Republican or mentally ill and health) or rich and poor. We are not divided. We are the same. We just have different experiences, and that is what I want people to know. It is not us and them. We belong to each other. We are tribe, and we are a community of humanity." 0 m 0 0 ~ 6 z 0 ......
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