Three Wofford College students are leading women’s health outreach on campus and in the surrounding community. 

Madelyn Wilson ’25, Gabby Gecan ’25 and Mary Charles Burke ’25 have founded the Wofford Women’s Health Coalition with the aim of combining education and awareness on women’s health topics with monthly service opportunities in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“We needed a space where we can talk about women’s health, benefit the community and promote education,” says Wilson, a psychology and Spanish major from Apex, North Carolina, who is serving as the coalition’s co-president.   

“We’re striving to create resources, educate and help women in the Spartanburg community feel supported,” says Burke, a psychology and neuroscience double major from Cramerton, North Carolina, and the coalition’s vice president. 

In March, the coalition held its first service project – a period product drive for the local nonprofit BirthMatters, which seeks to reduce teen pregnancy through reproductive health education. 

The period product drive featured several guest speakers. Wilson, Burke and Gecan say they are pleased with the strong support from students. A prize was given to the person who brought in the largest donation. 

“We go to Wofford, and we have all of these resources readily available to us,” says Gecan, a psychology major from Spartanburg and the coalition’s co-president. “We should pay it forward to others.” 

BirthMatters thanked the coalition for its support and has expressed interest in future partnerships with the group. 

“BirthMatters is privileged to partner with the Wofford Women’s Health Coalition in coordinating a period product drive that includes essentials to meet a birthing person’s postpartum needs after childbirth,” says Amber Pendergraph-Leak, executive director of BirthMatters. 

The Wofford Women’s Health Coalition invites students, regardless of gender, to consider joining to support and bring awareness to women’s health in the Wofford community and Spartanburg. To join the cause or learn more follow the Wofford Women’s Health Coalition on Instagram: @woffordwhc.