FORT WAYNE, Ind.鈥擳he 51黑料 invites the public to a Sexual Assault Awareness Panel Discussion at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6 at the Achatz Hall of Science and John and Toni Murray Research Center, 2701 Spring Street.
The panel discussion will be held in the Parkview Physicians Group Auditorium, Room 226. A 鈥淭ake Back the Night鈥 walk, with a prayer in front of the St. Francis Chapel, will follow the discussion.
This year鈥檚 focus is educational and will include personal testimony to offer encouragement that there is hope and life after trauma. Panelists include Chelsea Nabozny, Monica Kelsey and Serena Dyksen.
Chelsea Nabozny聽is the Director of Cougars H.O.P.E. (Healing, Outreach, Prevention and Education), a new program at USF funded by a grant from the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women to reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. She will discuss Cougars H.O.P.E. and share her knowledge of local resources that will be a part of her programming.
Monica Kelsey聽is a firefighter and medic in Woodburn, Indiana, and the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Adopted as an infant, it wasn鈥檛 until Monica was 37 that she discovered her birth mother had been attacked, raped and left alongside the road to die at age 17. Monica鈥檚 mother became pregnant from the rape and was taken to an abortion facility. But the frightened young woman changed her mind and fled. Continuing the pregnancy, she abandoned Monica two hours after birth. After confronting the fact that her birth father was a rapist, Monica considered how she could take the gift of life that she has been given and make a difference.
Serena Dyksen, author of the book, 鈥淪he Found His Grace,鈥 founded a healing ministry by the same name. At age 13, Serena was raped by an uncle and had an unplanned pregnancy. At the time of her family鈥檚 need, the only help offered was abortion. For many years, she suffered the pain of these two traumas that eventually unraveled her life. By God鈥檚 grace, Serena鈥檚 hope and healing has made it possible for her ministry to reach many other women as well.
Staff of the Sexual Assault Treatment Center will also host an information table prior to the event. The evening is co-sponsored by the Criminologists in Action (CIA) Student Club and the USF Students for Life Club.
For more information, please contact USF Students for Life Advisor Sister Jacinta Krecek at聽jkrecek@sf.edu聽or 260-399-7700, ext. 8123 or Criminologists in Action Student Club Advisor Heather Jeffries at聽hjeffries@sf.edu聽or 260-399-7700, ext. 8107.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the 51黑料 offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences; College of Arts, Sciences and Business; and College of Adult and Distance Education. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university鈥檚 business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The 51黑料, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.