Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Rachael Chapman ’03
Child Find Service Coordinator, Help Me Grow of Allen County, Lima, Ohio
Major: Social work
Uncovering ability
For as long as Rachael Chapman can remember, she wanted to work with children. Social work seemed a perfect fit, and after researching schools, she selected Bluffton for its well-known bachelor degree program.
Through an internship her senior year with the Children’s Developmental Center in Lima, Ohio, Rachael realized she wanted to work with children who have special needs. She knew that for many youngsters, therapy stops during the summer months which typically resulted in regression. “One statistic that continually bothered me was that 95 percent of children with special needs are excluded from physical activity because of their special needs,” she says. She knew that if the children were involved in summer activities their regression rates would drop as would the amount of time it would take for them to readjust to a new school year. With some help from her co-workers, she formed the Allen County Abilities Baseball League, designed for special-needs youth ages 4 to 18. On a Sunday in June 2003, 50 kids, who had previously been excluded from organized ballgames, got a chance to show off their skills on the baseball diamond. This past summer, league enrollment reached 78, and Rachael hopes to break her goal of 100 participants in the coming years.
For the past two years, Rachael has been working as a child find service coordinator for Help Me Grow of Allen County, a program for Ohio’s expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers that provides health and developmental services so children can start school healthy and ready to learn. Rachael works with children ages birth to three and their families, connecting them with information regarding child health, development, safety and community resources. Prior to Help Me Grow, she spent a year as an adult case manager for The Allen County Board of MR/DD.
Outside of the office, Rachael helps coach Temple Christian High School’s softball and junior varsity volleyball teams, giving her a chance to enjoy two sports she loves while helping to make a difference in the lives of young women.
“My four years at Bluffton provided me with direction in the career that I am currently in, along with many relationships, memories and friendships that will last a lifetime,” Rachael says.
