Allyson Joyce '19 is a sophomore Speech Pathology major and Social Work minor at Texas Christian University and a member of Alpha Chi Omega.
"Alpha Chi Omega’s philanthropy is Domestic Violence Awareness and one of our partners is The Women’s Center of Tarrant County. I have a huge heart for people and when I learned about the Victim Advocate program I just knew it was something I needed to do. My passion for marginalized people, and love for the Lord helped me in achieving this goal. After 40 classroom hours of training, hospital visits, readings and an exam I am now an Office of the Attorney General certified Victim Advocate for The Women’s Center of Tarrant County. I am one of the youngest advocates and could not be more grateful for all of those who encouraged and believed in me to do this.
I am so passionate about seeking out marginalized people and giving them hope. Proverbs 31:8-9 says “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”As an advocate, my role is to provide emotional support, safety, resources and information for victims. Through this position, I get to help people in the darkest moments of their lives and be that light for them. This is not an easy job. I ask for prayer from whoever is reading this that the Lord will speak through me, that I will feel His peace, presence and heavenly guidance in these situations as I answer hotline calls and go to various hospitals in the area to be with victims during medical exams and meetings with law enforcement.
Houston Christian provided me with a place that I felt safe and loved. During my time at HC the Lord placed teachers in my life like; Mr.Linhart, Mrs.Brown, Mr.Bailey, Mr.Sweger, Mrs.Metoyer, Coach Eisenman, Mrs.Lindsay, Mr.Malouf, and Leslie who inspired me to always do what is right, put others first, and follow my gut instincts. I am so thankful for these incredible men and women who know what they stand for and WHO they stand for and the massive influence they have had on my life making me the person I am today. They all are phenomenal role models and if you don’t know them yet, you should. I am also thankful for my peers from HC including; Sydney Greene, Kaylin Alexander, Kristiana Alaniz, Jillian Stewart, Allison Spiers, and many more who always loved me unconditionally and who continue to love and support me now that we are all at different colleges. Thank you Houston Christian for your love for your students, priority for safety and community oriented environment."
*Note: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Allyson has continued to answer the domestic violence hotline on her cell phone weekly. She has worked with CPS and the police department filing reports. While she can't visit victims in the hospital, she volunteers 2-3 times per week as a certified victims advocate.