Helping and Guiding Survivors On Campus
Jordyn Hughes, Capstone Scholar
Introduction
My name is Jordyn Hughes, and I’m
currently a freshman Pre-Nursing major
with a minor in Medical Humanities and
Culture. I’m actively involved in Alpha
Gamma Delta, Residence Hall Association,
Chi Alpha, and the Capstone Scholars
program. Before arriving on campus, I
became an advocate for survivors of sexual
assault, rape, and domestic violence. I began
sharing my story at a leadership and citizen
training program, ALA Palmetto Girls State,
where it was there, I realized there are more
survivors than many people realize. This
became a turning point for me in my life as I
began to share my story to empower other
survivors and learned more so how to do
this after arriving on campus. While I as an
individual can help and guide survivors of
these acts that I have met, U of SC’s campus
is so large that it needs more than one
person to act of this matter. ”Encourage the
Heart” is my top leadership practice and I
want others on campus to take turn in this
practice to help bring out more survivors.
Aim
Student survivors do not feel comfortable
coming forward after the act or do not
understand what has occurred. This results
in little to no community, mental health
issues, academic failure, and false case
numbers.
If campus improves the way to educate
students about what these acts can look like,
that females are not the only gender to face
these acts and spread more awareness about
campus resources and community/support
groups these results would decrease greatly
in upcoming years.
By doing this, also, would rate U of SC as a
more desirable school for upcoming
students that have faced these acts in their
past and would make parents more
comfortable with the atmosphere of campus.
Method
The Plan:
• Make campus more welcoming to
survivors allowing them to feel
comfortable and come together as a
community.
• Create a more collaborative way for
students to learn who can experience
these acts, what it can look like, and
campus resources that can help.
• Designate the month of October for
Domestic Violence and April to Sexual
Assault to increase awareness on campus
for students and faculty.
Organizations That Can Partner:
• Student Survivors For Survivors
• Email: soSS4S@mailbox.sc.edu
• Instagram: @SS4SUSC
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention
and Prevention (SAVIP)
• Phone number: 803-777-8248
• Russell House/Underground
Detailed Action Plan
Step One: Contact Student Survivors For
Survivors and SAVIP to learn the best way to
assess the plan of making current survivors
comfortable enough to come forward and
learn how their story can help others. This
will also help them find a community and
receive any therapy/counseling.
Step Two: Work with campus events and
the organizations to find ways to raise
awareness through October and April that
can teach students what these acts can look
like, where it can happen, and what to do if
it occurs. Also, find a more interactive way
to teach students throughout the other
months of the school year about these acts
look like. This can be achieved by creating a
website that gives a run down of what it is,
where it can occur, who it occurs to, and
action steps to take if it occurs.
Step Three: Create social media that
promotes daily teachings of this problem. It
is a more effective way to reach students on
campus and give them a safe space to
contact and learn more or reach out for
help.
1
Evaluation
Success will look like student survivors
coming together as a community and
supporting one another. Students on
campus will have a better understanding of
sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence
situations and the proper action steps to
take once faced as a survivor or as a witness.
Campus resources that can help survivors
with mental health, support, and other
essential needs are promoted more and
appeal more to students as help. While it
make take a while for the plan to take full
impact, I believe helping just one person can
be such a great accomplishment.
Conclusions
Given the opportunity to share my passion
and a way to make a change on campus has
been an incredible opportunity. To any
student that is afraid to take leaps and share
what you’re passionate about, don’t be. Take
the chances to help others and show what
you are capable of. Don’t doubt your
abilities because they are impactful in your
community and campus.
References
Smith-Kimble, C. (2020, July 27). Realities of
sexual assault on campus: Bestcolleges.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/sex
ual-assault-on-campus/.
Image (1);
https://sc.edu/uofsc/announcements/2014/1
1_its_on_us.php#.YDcrfC1h28U
February 26, 2021