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WHEELING – Hillary Southworth has always been a leader.
Whether in the classroom or the basketball court at West Liberty University, the former All-American guard received her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology in May with a 3.9 GPA in her major.
Southworth is planning to take her leadership across the world this December for a mission trip to the country of Tanzania, in East Africa, to work with the citizens of one of the poorest countries in the world. The trip will be part of an internship with Projects Abroad.
“Ultimately I want to help and serve people,” Southworth said. “I will be working alongside a professional speech pathologist in hospitals, clinics, schools, and anywhere the towns need us to be. In the hospital I will work from 9-5 every day treating people, diagnosing people, and learning new ways of treatment. I will be able to have my own patients for once and am hoping to get a lot better at treating them and learn as much as possible.”
Projects Abroad is the world’s leading international volunteer organization, that sent approximately 10,000 volunteers overseas last year for a variety of internships, delivering critically needed service projects. Southworth found the organization while researching graduate programs. She will be taking the trip during winter break as Southworth works on another degree in Speech & Language Pathology on top of her Bachelor’s Degree in North Carolina. After this degree, Southworth plans to stay in the regional area for graduate school.
“I love to travel,” Southworth said. “I told my Dad my idea and he thought I was crazy for this. Then I told him this was legitimate. I looked into it the program, researched everything a little more and then applied. They decided to let me in the program and I could not be happier.”
The Twinsburg, Ohio native comes from a family history of serving others one way or another in the medical field. Her grandfather was a doctor, grandmother was a nurse, sister is an EMT, and uncle is a surgeon. Southworth has been out of the country one other time in her life during a trip to the Dominican Republic.
“I have been surrounded by serving my entire life and I get such a joy in helping people,” Southworth said. “Everything over there will be volunteer work. Tanzania is so poor and the citizens need help to survive. Communication is so important in this world and is taken for granted. The smallest things are so crucial for living. I want to go over there and do whatever I can for them.
“I am nervous because I have no idea what to expect in Africa but also very excited and just feeling so many emotions about this. How can you not be excited about this? This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me.”
Southworth certainly felt many emotions during her basketball career at West Liberty. After transferring from Appalachian State following the 2010-11 season, she was voted a consensus first-team NCAA Division II All-American after her stellar junior campaign during the 2012-13 year. She then faced adversity as she suffered a knee injury that sidelined her for the 2013-14 season. After battling back from injury and a redshirt season, Southworth led West Liberty to a Mountain East Conference Tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament this past season.
“West Liberty was just amazing,” Southworth said. “I would never have anything bad to say about the school. I am so glad I transferred and it was a blessing to end up at West Liberty. I am so sad I won’t be going back there this fall.
“I think even though you may be nervous about something you have to have the courage to take the first leap, and that is something I was taught playing basketball at West Liberty. Others that are still in my academic program at West Liberty may see what I am doing and want to do the same thing. It is all something basketball taught me, making the first move, and they will want to follow me. It is all about enlightening people to take the first step.”
One of the challenges facing Southworth like many students fresh out of college is money. The approximate total cost of the trip is $10,000 with the round-trip plane ticket costing nearly $4,000 alone. She will be spending four weeks living with a host family in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania.
“Going on my trip to the Dominican Republic made me see how fortunate we are,” Southworth said. “Sure this is going to be really costly, but it will be such a life changing experience and we will find a way financially to make it happen. The patients really need our help and I just want to help and serve others.”
If Southworth does not raise enough money for her trip by December, she plans to go in the Spring. If you would like to help Southworth’s cause and let her be your ambassador, she has set up a funding page to raise money for her trip at www.gofundme.com/v9hfpr8. She is also accepting donations via mail, and checks can be made out to Hillary Southworth at 1035 Waldo Way Twinsburg, Ohio 44087.