For four friends, trying to make an impact at a big school clicked when an issue even bigger hit home, forcing everyone in the Penn State community to acknowledge that sexual abuse is a real and present danger.
Dan Rost, a sophomore, founded the One Heart campaign at Penn State with fellow sophomores Tori Smith and Zack DeVoti and freshman Anand Ganjam.
The four finance majors reached out to professors, administrators and student organizations that could be interested in getting involved with their campaign. After the firestorm that swept the entire community in November, stemming from the 52 charges and allegations of abuse against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, students realized if they wanted change, they had to make it.
Rost said the group wanted to “hit the ground running,” because raising awareness for victims of sexual abuse is an effort that can’t wait.
“You see some of the statistics – one in four girls, one in six boys will be abused – you look at these Penn Staters around you, and start doing the numbers in your head… it’s personal,” Rost said. “We just didn’t think that happened before.”
Now, the One Heart campaign will last through April, fundraising for the Vision of Hope Fund and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. In December, Penn State partnered with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
The Vision of Hope Fund is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, who’s mission, according to Penn State, is “to protect children from the devastation of sexual abuse by increasing adult responsibility and accountability.”
Funding goes toward Internet safety programs for parents, continuing education for family physicians, and training for professionals who are “mandated reporters of child abuse,” Penn State said.
Rost said in its first few months, the campaign is solidifying its pillars as the founders work to get the message of awareness out to the entire school. Ultimately, Rost said he hopes to see the One Heart campaign expand into a university-wide initiative that has students from every college, organization and classroom raising awareness for an all-important cause.
Some groups, like student government, the Honors College, and several business organizations have expressed their intent to get involved, Rost said.
“Our goal is to build upon the relationship that the university has already established with PCAR and reach out to alumni, corporate partners, and other individuals and groups across the country who believe that Penn State and Penn Staters can make a difference for victims and families.”
