 |
| Kristin Beale '12: "I have had an interest in English and journalism since I was in the 11th grade." |
Kristin Beale ’12 is a psychology major, journalism minor and an accomplished writer. Her literary efforts recently snagged the publication of one of her articles in a national magazine. “I have had an interest in English and journalism since I was in 11th grade,” says the Richmond, Virginia native.
Beale’s article was published in
Action, a magazine of the United Spinal Association. In 2006, Beale was in a jet-ski accident, and since that time, she has made it her goal to get back the sensation and movement in her legs. “A month after I was discharged from the hospital, I flew to California to work out at a place called Project Walk,” she says. Since that time, Beale has worked tirelessly, traveling all over the globe to seek physical therapy. “It hasn’t been easy,” she says, “but I’ve gotten back the feeling of ‘pressure’ in my legs, and I am able to move my legs and feet, and I can wiggle my toes.”
Beale, who chose to come to R-MC because of the campus size and its proximity to her home in Short Pump, Virginia, is very active in campus activities. She is a member of Christian Intervarsity, an organization that fosters fellowship and the sharing of common ideas, problems and challenges. Activities include weekly meetings for discussion of the Christian faith, prayer, athletic events and retreats. “I like being in Intervarsity because it gives me a bunch of friends that have a lot in common with me,” says Beale. “It’s a good way of bringing me back to ‘home base’ after a week of school, by serving as a reminder of what is important to me. I have a lot of fun there too; it’s the highlight of my week.”
Beale was a participant in last year’s annual Dance Marathon, the proceeds of which benefit various Richmond-based Children’s Miracle Network facilities. “Last year someone asked me to speak at the Dance Marathon,” says Beale. “I talked a bit about my accident, since the money raised went to Children’s Hospital—that’s where I stayed for three months after my accident.”
Off campus, Beale participates in the Wintergreen Adaptive Ski Program in Wintergreen, Virginia. “Before my accident, I played lacrosse and field hockey, and I was a cheerleader,” she says. “After the accident, I couldn’t participate in those things anymore. I love to ski because it is my chance to get back into what I loved so much before—sports. It’s cool to have something that, like before, I can work at and be good at.”
Beale’s post-R-MC plans include a move to Southern California. She hopes to work there as a health psychologist or a nutritionist. “I want to live there and work out at Awakenings, a gym for people with spinal cord injuries,” she says. “I’m going to learn to walk again.”
To read more Student Experience stories, click here. For information on R-MC’s English department, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/academics/english.aspx For information on R-MC’s Christian Intervarsity organization, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/Offices/chaplain/groups.aspx To read the story that Beale had published in Action, visit
http://www.unitedspinal.org/publications/action/2009/05/27/acupuncture-and-spinal-cord-injury For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon or to schedule a campus visit, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at admissions@rmc.edu.