The active student caregiver

By Autumn Hall

McKenna waiting for club meeting to start

Tulsa native and college junior, McKenna Rhodes, followed in both of her parents footsteps by attending TU. I met McKenna recently through a service project, the Gatesway Foundation Balloon Festival, and was excited to learn that she was a very active member of the University of Tulsa's chapter of Circle K International, a community service club with close ties to Kiwanis International.

McKenna is a Business Law major and wants to help "people with special needs, teachers, and veterans," she further explained in our interview together that she wants to help people who need it.

McKenna is a board member of the Gatesway Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. She was also the volunteer coordinator in the 21st Annual Gatesway Balloon Festival in Broken Arrow this past September. McKenna also volunteers at an education center for children with communication disorders, Happy Hands.

"I love volunteering, but it's disappointing when people underestimate other's strengths," said McKenna. She was inspired to help those with disabilities because her own brother has special needs. She experienced living with a person with Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic and neurological disorder characterized by severe learning disabilities and developmental delays.

Because of this, McKenna wishes to change how people view those with disabilities. It was truly amazing to meet and hear her story.