by Cathy Slade

On January 18, I had the pleasure of extolling the many fine attributes of one of Sacred Heart’s active young parishioners, Caitlin Erwin, in my speech to about two-hundred people in an audience consisting of doctors, researchers, health specialists, public-health workers, and trainers. The occasion was the annual meeting of The Medical Foundation, a non-profit group that works with communities to promote public-health educational programs and that conducts medical research in the public-health realm. The Medical Foundation has been working hand-in-hand with Healthy Roslindale for the past two-and-a-half years on a collaborative effort to prevent underage drinking. That program is called Roslindale Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (“RMCA”).

The reason for my speech was that Meghan Wagner of the Medical Foundation had nominated Caitlin for the Community Health Youth Award, given annually to two young people who work with The Medical Foundation on health issues in their neighborhood. Meghan trains the peer leaders of Healthy Roslindale’s Rossie Reps Youth Council who work on the RMCA Program. Meghan was so impressed with Caitlin’s diligence and commitment to the program that she was moved to nominate her for the award. Since I have known and worked with Caitlin for many years, Meghan deferred the nomination speech to me, and I gladly accepted.

In the speech, I expressed how Caitlin had developed her leadership skills over the past few years and had grown into a fine young woman who is well-respected by her fellow Rossie Reps and by the adults in the community. She has been a role model to others. Caitlin has a special talent for writing and for conveying how important it is that young people wait until they are of legal age before partaking in alcohol.

Caitlin has participated in RMCA activities with dedication and passion; she fervently believes in the work she is doing. She has taken the initiative in writing letters to the editors of the local papers, making PowerPoint presentations, and presenting them to diverse groups, in developing brochures, and in leading small-group discussions at public meetings.

Caitlin was a natural when she gave her acceptance speech. Composed and engaging, she thanked people for nominating her and for helping her to develop an interest in community service. Before working with Healthy Roslindale, Caitlin had felt that community service was just a school requirement. After working within the program, however, she not only felt that she had developed an acute interest in the community, but also she discovered that community service is an endeavor that she really enjoys.

Caitlin also thanked all the members of the senior peer leader group with whom she works and said that she has learned a lot from them. She demonstrated that she could express herself and convey her message to others, adding public speaking to her long list of talents. Her poise and comfort at the podium were quite evident, especially as she added humor in her talk.

To this day, a month later, people are still approaching me, saying how impressed they are with Caitlin’s abilities and achievements. Some say they are looking to see this young woman of promise up at the State House some day. When I relate that she is going into nursing, they remark that she will probably be at the State House lobbying for improved health services.

As Caitlin graduates from Mount St. Joseph Academy and leaves Sacred Heart Parish to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, we wish her well in using her talents to become the person she wants to be and in accomplishing the things that she wants to achieve.