Emily Lawson '99 plans for more international work
Emily Lawson '99 was raised with a heart for service.
"It was never an 'if,' it was a 'how'," she said about growing up in a family dedicated to social-justice issues. "It was always that God called us to serve and that we should use our extra time, talent and money to serve others."
Serving others has been a call Emily has continued to answer since leaving St. Agnes Academy. Armed with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Oglethorpe University and a year of teaching math under her belt at a KIPP Academy in Atlanta, Emily turned to the Peace Corps.
"I had a real calling to go overseas and do international service," she said. "In 2002 (between the junior and senior year of college), I needed some perspective, so I joined a Habitat for Humanity trip to Tanzania - it was a pivotal moment in my life. There was such joy and energy in the faces of these people who we, in the west, consider to have nothing. They may have little to no material goods, but spiritually and culturally, they are so rich. I realized that despite what I could give, truly there was so much more I could learn."
Emily's time in Tanzania was such a transformational experience that she applied to the Peace Corps and accepted a 27-month assignment in Thailand. She spent three months training before taking up her post in Bua Yai, a small town in the province of Nakorn Rachasima (Korat) Province, located in Issan, the northeast region of the country that is populated by multi-ethnic residents from Thailand and Laos.
"Experiencing life and living in a developing country forces you to leave yourself behind. You're in a place - a culture, that is so different from your own," Emily said. "It truly makes you feel as if you are a citizen of the world. People are people and there is something about simply being human that connects us, and is truly beautiful."
Her role with the Peace Corps meant conducting teacher trainings for English instructors, working alongside three Thai teachers in the classroom to create more student-centered lesson plans, plan activities and develop curriculum. She also helped form English Clubs and sponsor English theatre productions. Another large part of her assignment involved community outreach and, specifically, HIV/AIDS education. Emily worked with the PHA (People Living with HIV and AIDS) support group at the local hospital and partnered with nurses to provide HIV/AIDS education in schools. As a member of the PEPFAR National Peace Corps AIDS Education Committee, she provided training for medical workers, educators and PHAs during weekend retreats.
"I'm grateful for my lesson in taking time to exist with people. To be a fellow human and not always have a filled agenda," Emily said. "The Peace Corps gave me the skills to really listen to people, no matter the language barriers, and open my heart."
Emily is currently in her first year of a three-year graduate entry program in nursing at Yale University. She will complete her RN coursework and then specialize with a masters in nurse-midwifery. "A midwife is a vocation - a special kind of person," she explained. "I want to help serve underrepresented populations in our country and internationally, counseling parents about nutrition and child development and giving children the best start possible."
She often reflects on her time on St. Agnes and how her high-school years prepared her for international experiences. "St. Agnes reinforced what I was learning at home and the spirit of the school confirmed what I had always been taught. The faculty and administrators at St. Agnes. they don't just talk about social justice, they live it," Emily said.
Despite her busy graduate student schedule, Emily tries to find time to sing, dance and participate in theatrical productions, some of the same activities she participated in as an Academy student and choir member. Emily continues to keep in touch with some of her favorite teachers: Diana Turney, theology; Art Buckley, music and theology; and Mark Albright, social science.
"I have such wonderful memories from high school," she said. "St. Agnes was the perfect place for me - a really joyous time in my life and I am so thankful for that."
