Courtney Hawes ’19 signed up for GWS 320: Feminist Thought Into Action, a Gender and Women’s Studies course, to fulfill a general education requirement – and it led to the start of her career.

In the class, taught by Professor Jody Lisberger, students were asked to conduct a project where they could put knowledge into practice by working within the community. As Hawes was interested in sexual assault advocacy, she decided to work with Day One, an organization in Providence, RI, focused on reducing sexual abuse and violence while supporting and advocating for those affected by it. “I did a teddy bear drive for victims of child sexual abuse,” Hawes says. “The Child Advocacy Center within Day One conducts forensic interviews with child victims and afterwards they choose a teddy bear from a giant teddy bear wall. We were able to collect over 300 bears and it was an amazing experience.” Inspired by her experience, Hawes then applied for an internship position with the Child Advocacy Center. She joined the organization’s helpline, undergoing 30 hours of training to be prepared to respond to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and hate crimes in hospitals and police departments. She and other staff members from Day One also went to different sororities and fraternities on campus and educated students on resources and sexual assault information.

Fast forward, and Hawes has continued her work with Day One even after graduating in December 2019 by accepting a full-time position there – one she calls her dream job. “I am now the Advocacy Coordinator at Day One,” she says. “I work within Adult Advocacy and the main part of my job is supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and hate crimes. I take calls from people who need someone supportive to speak with, need help navigating the legal system, or who don’t know their options. I connect them with resources throughout the state such as Law Enforcement Advocates, counseling, legal help, and more. We also work with hospitals and law enforcement to give training on trauma informed care and working with victims. I sit on a few councils throughout the state that work to bring about positive changes within the community regarding survivors, as well.” She now helps run the organization’s helpline and trains volunteers to respond to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and hate crimes – including providing advocacy over the phone during this pandemic.

Looking back on her time as a student at URI, Hawes says she recognizes the importance of the foundation her liberal arts education gave her. “It is becoming increasingly important to constantly evaluate ourselves and the world around us,” she says, “and liberal art classes assist in teaching students how to do that.” And looking back on that fateful general education class, she says: “General education classes sometimes feel like hoops students have to jump through just to get them done, but GWS 320 was one that you left feeling as though you really accomplished and learned something important. The class bonded like a family and we all taught each other something about ourselves and the world we live in.” Lastly, she adds: “There is a 24/7 helpline for victims of ANY crime. The number is 1-800-494-8100 and people answer the phones 24/7. If anyone is interested in volunteering for the helpline they can contact me at chawesdayoneri.org or at (401) 421-4100, extension 146.