‘Mission in Action’: Gardner-Webb Human Services Students use Skills to Propose Nonprofit Ideas 

Organizations Created by Students Show Their Commitment to Meeting Needs in The Community

Ready to Finish Your Bachelor’s in Human Services? Apply before March 7

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The final project in Dr. Erin Cook’s upper-level human services course, “Understanding Nonprofit Organizations,” requires her students to apply everything they learned during the semester. “They present to me a nonprofit they would like to start as if I were an investor in their organization,” explained Cook, assistant professor and program coordinator for human services. “This year’s group was absolutely outstanding.” 

Students created organizations to tackle the needs that meant the most to them. The ideas included helping to rebuild a mountain community after Helene, starting a domestic violence advocacy group and developing a children’s group focused on deaf and hard of hearing kids. “I feel as if their work was Gardner-Webb’s mission in action,” Cook affirmed. “This helps to show how the work in the classroom can make a major difference in the professional lives of the students and sets them up for making a positive impact in their community.”

Qualified students who are interested in serving their communities can begin their online bachelor’s in human services by applying before the next start date: March 7.

While completing her degree, December 2024 graduate Cynthia Chisholm was able to use information she learned in class to help her on the job as a program director and peer support specialist at Green Tree Peer Center. “I chose Gardner-Webb because it offered me the opportunity to fully complete my degree online,” she offered. “I appreciate the fact that although I am an off-campus student, I always had access to my professors. Any questions or concerns that I had were always addressed and answered promptly.”

The non-profit Chisholm proposed was Maggie’s House, a place that will provide a safe place and assistance to women and children who are experiencing domestic violence. “While at Maggie’s House, they will have the opportunity to regain control of their lives and be given the opportunity to further their education, learn new employable skills, meet with counselors, therapists, and be empowered and simply heal,” she described. “Along their journey, guests will have the opportunity to enter a financial literacy program that would assist them in saving money for a down payment on a new home for themselves and their children upon their exit from Maggie’s House.”

A survivor of domestic violence, Chisholm named her non-profit after her grandmother (Maggie), who gave her a safe place to stay when she needed to escape. “I am just thankful for an opportunity to share a piece of my dream with others that have a heart for helping,” she stated. “I hope that not only my non-profit comes to life but also all the other non-profit ideas as well.”

Emma Kate Harrison, a student who will graduate in May 2026, developed “Hope Haven: A Faith-Based Intensive Treatment House.” Her non-profit organization would provide therapeutic treatment in a supportive home environment. “This non-profit would have one young adult at a time come into the home (Hope Haven) for four to eight weeks, depending on their need, to have intensive treatment to foster their healing and treatment process,” Harrison explained. “While they are receiving this professional treatment, they will have in-home Christian volunteers, who have the role of ensuring their safety, showing them what a loving home looks like and intentionally encouraging their walk with Jesus.”

Harrison is involved in ministry opportunities at GWU and Venture Church in Dallas, N.C. She believes the church should support those who struggle with mental health issues. “I feel very strongly about bridging the gap between the church and mental health,” she asserted, “This is a way that I could facilitate people becoming unified in their efforts of helping other individuals.”

Another student in the class, Jessica Bridges also created a non-profit to solve a problem that she cares about. Bridges will finish her bachelor’s degree in human services in the summer and has already enrolled in Gardner-Webb’s accelerated master’s program in public administration.

A freelance American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, Bridges works mainly in education and also works part time for a Video Relay Service (VRS) company. “I love my job and working with the Deaf community,” she affirmed.

She chose to finish her bachelor’s degree through Gardner-Webb’s online program, so that she could continue to work as an interpreter. “I found that GWU offered several online options, and when I reached out to discuss them with the advisors, they were so kind and knowledgeable,” Bridges related. “They helped me to figure out a plan that would work for me, especially as a non-traditional student. I chose human services because it aligns with my work as an interpreter. I wanted to learn more about creating resources for the Deaf community, specifically for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children in public schools. I felt that a human services degree would allow me to explore those resources, and learn to work with other organizations to achieve my goals.”

The nonprofit she created, “The B.R.I.D.G.E,” is for DHH children and their families. This organization would help to bridge the gap in resources and support that typically occurs when DHH children are placed in public education settings. “Through my work as an ASL interpreter, I found that parents and teachers often lacked the resources that are needed to support their DHH students,” Bridges observed. “Children who are DHH often experience Language Deprivation Syndrome, which has become a big topic in the Deaf community. Since language is the bridge to how we connect with the world and those around us, it is imperative to build strong language foundations, as early as possible. Unfortunately, due to lack of resources, guidance and support, many of these kids will not have that opportunity. The nonprofit organization (NPO) I created seeks to change that, by partnering with families, the Deaf community, and educators.”

Bridges would like to see her nonprofit organization become a reality. It will take funding for technology and devices, learning materials and resource creation. Most of all, it will take tenacity on her part. “I would truly like to make this NPO a reality, and I have been building it in my mind for several years,” she acknowledged. “It will happen. I am grateful to Dr. Cook for her continued support and kindness. I appreciate all of the professors in the (human services) program, and I am so thankful that each of them has encouraged and supported me as I grow my skills.”

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.