By Bonnie Kennovin
In June, while every other Calhoun High School senior will be excitedly awaiting prom and graduation, 17-year-old Rachel Hendrix of Merrick will be anticipating her trip to Uganda. Yes, Uganda.
Hendrix was awarded the experience of a lifetime when Calhoun won the opportunity to send one fortunate student to Africa with Invisible Children, a non-profit organization that aims to help children caught in a fierce civil war in northern Uganda. Hendrix led Calhoun's fund-raising efforts to collect over $24,000 for Invisible Children - more than any other school in the New England region. (Invisible Children includes New York in the New England region, although it's a mid-Atlantic state.)
Because of her hard work, Hendrix was selected for the trip out of 85 Calhoun students involved in the fundraiser. "As soon as I saw what these children, who aren't much younger than I am, have to go through," said Hendrix, "I knew that we had to do something to help. These kids are losing their childhood. Every night they fear abduction and can't sleep in their own homes."
The trip will last two weeks at the end of June. Hendrix will miss her senior prom and high school graduation. 'It never really was a question if I would give up the opportunity to go to Uganda for program," she said. "The trip is something that will stay with me forever, and I can bring back my experience to share with future Calhoun students."
Hendrix and about 20 other high school and college students from across the United States will first travel to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress, make a stop in London, and then visit displacement caps in northern and southern Uganda. Hendrix said, "My parents are worried about me flying into a war zone. Most parents would be worried about their 17-year-old going to a warn-torn region. But they're also excited for me to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because they know how much this cause means to me."
Hendrix is a straight-A student, taking Advanced Placement and Honors courses at Calhoun. She is captain of the girls' track team and has run cross-country and track. She has earned spots in the National, Tri-M Music, Spanish and Math honor societies. Hendrix is also a member of Girl Scouts and various school clubs, such as Students Against Destructive Decisions. She plans to attend SUNY Geneseo or SUNY Cortland in the fall, majoring in early childhood education and special education.
"I'm not really scared at all," she said of her trip. "I'm just very excited to see firsthand where our money that we raised is going to and to meet the people who have lived through this terrible war."
