Andrew Sexton (20), Morehead State University alumnus and graduate student in MSU’s Master of Public Administration program, was recently named the VISTA Coordinator of Gateway Homeless Coalition (GHC), commonly known as Gateway House.
Gateway House is a Morehead-based homeless shelter serving Bath, Morgan, Montgomery, Menifee and Rowan Counties.
Sexton, a Morehead native who earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Spanish from MSU, had several connections to Gateway House before taking on his current role. His older sister, Amber Sexton (14), volunteered there during her undergraduate years at MSU.
As a former representative for MSU’s Student Government Association, he helped lead an effort to partner with Gateway House for Challenge for Change, a community service event involving over 100 students who contributed over 1,400 hours of community service in 24 hours. The Gateway House also happened to be the former childhood home of his former advisor Melisa McBrayer Patrick (83), MSU student services and outreach coordinator, who worked with Sexton on several projects while he was an MSU student.
“I knew that GHC seemed a good fit for me, so I contacted Marilyn Smith and Paul Semisch, executive and associate directors, respectively. I got in touch with them as soon as I knew I wanted to work with them,” Sexton said. “In the end, I was approved and accepted for the year-long position for GHC.”
Sexton said his service project mainly involves capacity building while reducing and eventually eliminating poverty in the Gateway House service region. In his current role, he focuses on strengthening the resources used by Gateway House through inter-agency partnerships, social media and engagement with donors. He has also produced one video and plans to release more videos on special topics related to homelessness as a means of educating others without meeting them face-to-face due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The work that I do helps my coworkers accomplish what they need to do,” Sexton said. “Every day is different for me because my service is determined by the changing needs of shelter residents and staff. I find that the most fulfilling part of my service is in educating others about the needs and desires of the homeless population specific to the Gateway Service region.”
The Gateway House is always accepting financial or in-kind donations to further the mission of the organization. More information can be found at www.gatewayhouseky.org or by following our Facebook page “Gateway House.”
To learn more about programs in MSU’s Department of Psychology, visit http://www.moreheadstate.edu/psychology or call 606-783-2981.
Students interested in MSU’s Master of Public Administration program can visit http://www.moreheadstate.edu/study/mpa or email hpil@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2655.
For more information about Spanish programs at MSU, contact the Department of English, Communication, Media and Languages at cml@moreheadstate.edu, 606-783-2134 or visit http://www.moreheadstate.edu/cml
