By Melanie Davis
Jeni Wyatt is putting her professional talents to
work for the community.
Jeni Wyatt serves as
the victims’ assistance advocate for the Watauga
County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Photo
by Mark Mitchell
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Wyatt holds a doctorate in community counseling,
which she completed at UNC Asheville in 2006. She has now
volunteered her time and expertise to the Watauga chapter
of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) as the victim assistance
advocate.
Wyatt attended a five-day, national training seminar in
Dallas, Texas, in May sponsored by MADD. The training covered
all aspects of a drunk-driving related crash, from law enforcement
involvement to the aftermath for a victim.
“For someone involved, there is so much more than just
a wreck and it’s over,” Wyatt said. “The
victim advocate stays with the family from the initial wreck
through the court case.”
Through the national training, Wyatt learned the basics
of victims’ rights in a court case, post traumatic
stress syndrome recognition and how to connect victims with
community resources.
“If a person loses their car in a drunk-driving wreck,
they may be in danger of losing their job,” Wyatt explains.
“A victim advocate can help connect the victim to non-profits
in the area to assist them.”
Wyatt has been involved with the Watauga County chapter
of MADD since its inception in December 2007. She has missed
only one meeting.
There were several reasons behind her desire to join the
MADD organization, one of which was the death of relative
when she was a very young girl. Her cousin’s husband
went out to a convenience store late one evening and did
not return home. His vehicle was T-boned by a speeding,
drunk driver. He was killed instantly in the collision.
“I was too young to remember the accident happening,
but an event like that creates a ripple-effect in the family,”
she said.
Wyatt’s father was a warrant officer in the U.S. Army,
and she spent much of childhood raised in Italy and Germany,
as well as various locations throughout the U.S.
“I was raised in a household without alcohol, but through
my father’s work I was exposed to some alcohol-related
issues,” Wyatt said. “He would be called to pick
up officers who had drunk too much.”
One of the main reasons for Wyatt’s MADD involvement
is the national media coverage of the 1980 death of 13-year-old
girl at the hands of a drunk driver. Cari Lightner was walking
down a suburban street in California, when she was hit and
killed by a drunk driver. The driver of the car had been
convicted four times prior on charges of driving while intoxicated.
Upon the conviction in the case involving Lightner’s
death, he was sentenced to two years in prison, which he
did not serve. He spent the two years in a work camp and
halfway house. Lightner’s mother, Candy, vowed to make
a difference, and founded Mothers Against Drunk Drivers,
later changed to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
“That story really affected me. I was close to the
same age as Cari,” Wyatt said. “I can remember
thinking how completely unfair it was and that sentiment
has stayed with me.”
Upon seeing the MADD announcement in the newspaper nearly
one year ago, Wyatt had no hesitation in joining the organization.
Her daughters, ages 17 and 14, have approached the driving
age.
“After finishing my doctorate, I felt that I had enough
time to dedicate to a good organization,” Wyatt said.
The victims’ assistance advocate position fits perfectly
with Wyatt’s education and experience.
She is currently serving as the director of undergraduate
academic affairs at the college of arts and sciences at
Appalachian State University. Wyatt has been in the position
with ASU for nearly six years. She had already begun her
doctorate program in Asheville when the ASU position became
available.
“I came for an interview and thought to myself immediately,
’This is where I want to be,’” Wyatt said.
It was a commute for her to finish her doctorate in Asheville
and work in Boone, but she credits a supportive family for
helping her to achieve that goal. Her mother, in particular,
helped by watching her daughters on the late nights she
was traveling between work and school.
The desire to help others and raise awareness appears to
be a trait Wyatt has instilled in her daughters. Her eldest
daughter, Savannah Parris, is a senior at Watauga High School
and active in the Students Against Destructive Decisions
(SADD) club. Through a recent partnership between MADD and
SADD, the pair will likely be working together on a few
projects in the near future.
Wyatt’s youngest daughter, Carolina Parris, a freshman
at WHS, is very active with her church youth group and is
a member of the Watauga High Against Tobacco club.
Wyatt is currently not working with any families or victims
of drunk-driving collisions. “We are very fortunate
to have only a few alcohol-related crashes per year in Watauga
County,” she said.
Wyatt is on standby if an accident should occur, trained
and ready to provide assistance. Her contact information
has been disseminated through the Watauga County Sheriff’s
Office (WCSO) and the Boone Police Department.
If there are current victims in Watauga County seeking additional
information, Wyatt can be reached by calling the national
MADD victim services hotline at (877) MADD-HELP. The national
center will notify the local chapter and Wyatt.
The Watauga County chapter’s meetings are held on the
second Thursday of every month. The location varies between
the Watauga County Public Library and the sheriff’s
office on Hodges Gap Road in Boone. In December, the meeting
will be held on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the WCSO.
Wyatt encourages everyone, men and women, to attend the
meetings and become involved in the organization. “Too
often, people think MADD is a bunch of teetotalers,”
she said. “It is the action of drunk driving we are
against, attempting to help make the roads safer for everyone.”
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