College student sees hope in homeless

It can be easy to glance over people in the community. For Whitney Campbell, 18, a freshman at Salem College, an internship at the Federal Reserve during the summer of 2010 opened her eyes to those in need in Charlotte.

Campbell was chosen as the only high school student for an internship with the Federal Reserve through the School of International Business' Academy of Finance Apprenticeship Program. One thing she learned about during the internship was homelessness in Charlotte.

Campbell learned from an Urban Ministry employee that many in the community don't pay attention to the degree of homelessness in Charlotte. "It just opened my eyes," she said. “You drive past these places and don't realize the people who are affected... Some (homeless) people are lawyers and in this economy have lost their jobs."

Another part of the internship was completing a challenge to benefit Habitat for Humanity. "One morning we had to wake up early and sit on the roof (at the Habitat for Humanity Restore), hold up signs and have people pledge to give money. Our group had to come up with at least $1,000 to get off the roof."

During the two-month internship, Campbell helped collect $2,000 for the organization.

To read Whitney's advice to younger readers, check out Young Achievers online.