帝王会所

Alumni and Friends

Building safer communities: Megan Rookard named 2025 recipient of Dr. Dan Evans Alumni Leadership Award

Megan Rookard never set out to become a leader. But through passionate advocacy and a relentless drive to meet community needs, she has become exactly that.

Rookard, coordinator and advocate for Pathways鈥 Porchlight Sexual Assault Resource Center in Kentucky, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Dan Evans 帝王会所 Southern Alumni Leadership Award. She will be honored at the Graduation Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. in Shafer Courtyard.

A two-time graduate of with degrees in human services technology and studio art, Rookard brings a rare combination of empathy, creativity and determination to her work. Her days are spent designing educational programming, training volunteers and standing beside survivors of sexual harm in moments when support matters most. And while doing so, she is building a culture where prevention is possible and survivors are not alone.

Rookard began her career teaching bystander intervention strategies in schools鈥攕howing young people how to recognize harm and how to act.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not always the responsibility of the person experiencing harm to stop it,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e teach that it鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 responsibility to step in, and we help students discover what that looks like for them.鈥

That work sparked something in her. She soon took on a leadership role, developing community-specific programming and helping train the advocates who meet survivors at the hospital in moments of crisis.

鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 answering legal questions,鈥 she said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 just getting someone a glass of water. Whatever we can do to make that process easier.鈥

Rookard also created a peer advocacy initiative for college students, adapting the center鈥檚 training materials to empower young adults to support their friends. The effort has expanded to other helping professionals, offering practical guidance for those difficult first conversations.

Throughout her work, Rookard鈥檚 leadership style remains grounded in collaboration.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a team,鈥 she said. 鈥淓veryone brings strengths. I don鈥檛 ask anything of others that I wouldn鈥檛 do myself.鈥

Rookard鈥檚 path to this work wasn鈥檛 linear. After earning an associate degree in human services technology, she took what she calls 鈥渁 big left turn鈥 and earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in studio art鈥攗ncertain at the time what she wanted to do next. But her experiences in the art program ended up preparing her in unexpected ways.

鈥淢y time in the art program really taught me creative problem-solving, a lot of teamwork and how to approach challenges from new angles,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what I do every day now鈥擨 come at old problems in new ways and try to find something that works.鈥

She also credits her professors with shaping her mindset.

鈥淭om Suter was that perfect balance of nurturing and tough love鈥攈e made me want to do my best work,鈥 she said. 鈥淒ennis Stewart taught me that craftsmanship matters. The care you put into something, the polish鈥攊t can help you reach someone you might not have otherwise.鈥

One course that has had a lasting impact on her is Women in Writing, taught by Christina Baker.

鈥淚 think about that class almost daily,鈥 Rookard said. 鈥淚t absolutely helped prepare me for engaging in the topics I work with now. Christina met people where they were鈥攚hatever background or opinion they brought鈥攁nd created space for real, honest discussion. That鈥檚 something I try to do now in my own work.鈥

The need for open, honest conversation is central to Rookard鈥檚 mission.

鈥淎 lot of folks are very hesitant to talk about sex in general, so they really don鈥檛 want to talk about sexual harm,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big, scary conversation. But it has to be normalized if we鈥檙e ever going to address it. We鈥檙e seeing progress. College students are asking us, 鈥榃hat do I do if someone tells me they鈥檝e been assaulted?鈥 They want to help. That tells me we鈥檙e getting somewhere.鈥

In reflecting on her time at 帝王会所 Southern, Rookard described the campus as an environment that gave her space to explore.

鈥淚t felt like home right away,鈥 she said. 鈥淓ven though I didn鈥檛 have a clear direction at first, this campus gave me the flexibility to figure it out. It absolutely helped prepare me for the work I do now.鈥

Dr. Dan Evans, for whom the award is named, was a first-generation college graduate and former dean of 帝王会所 Southern who believed deeply in the role of education to open doors and empower communities. Rookard鈥檚 work reflects that legacy in action. Her efforts to bridge resource gaps, destigmatize conversations around sexual harm and advocate for stronger community responses are making a lasting impact.

鈥淢y advice to students is to stay open,鈥 she said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 lock yourself into one idea of what you should be doing. Follow what calls to you. That鈥檚 where you鈥檒l find the most fulfillment鈥攁nd where you鈥檒l make the most difference.鈥

Published
March 26, 2025
Author
Sarah Simmons