Tim Anderson, a junior from Macon, Ga., is withdrawing from school for a semester and taking his firefighting and paramedic skills to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. Details...
Tim Anderson packed several bags and left campus on Thursday to assist hurricane Katrina victims in Hattiesburg, Miss. Anderson, a history major, is a firefighter with the Town of Elon Fire Department and also an EMT. He was preparing to leave campus in a few weeks to study abroad in St. Andrews, Scotland, when the hurricane struck, leveling much of the Gulf Coast.
“Once the hurricane struck and I saw how bad it was down there, I just wanted to help out,” he says. “I took a look at my credits and realized that if I took fall semester off, I could still graduate on time.”
Anderson says he plans to return to Elon for the January Winter Term and study in Scotland during spring semester.
Anderson, a firefighter for the past four years, says he will join the disaster response team led by the Presbyterian Church. He plans to visit his family in Macon before traveling to Hattiesburg on Sunday, where he says he’ll assist with food distribution and other relief efforts.
“It’s been frustrating because I wanted to get down (to the Gulf region) sooner,” he says. “It’s been tough watching it on TV. I have a set of skills that could help down there, and I know they’re going to need a lot of people to help. My hope is to serve people and make whatever difference I can.”
Anderson says his friends and parents have been supportive of his decision. “My parents are behind me 100 percent, and my friends are also very supportive.”
Anderson has also worked as a firefighter in Philadelphia where he grew up. He joined the Elon Fire Department his freshman year. He has been an EMT for almost two years and plans on working as a professional firefighter after graduation.
“The bottom line is you get to make a difference and help people, and people like to see you show up. I feel called to do this so that’s where I’m headed. It’s a win-win situation because I’ll get to graduate on time and have an amazing experience.”