Fawcett Helps Bring Attention to Trillium Family Services in Portland

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- Riley Fawcett (OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) is spending the entire summer in Salem for the first time as she gets ready for her senior year. She has kept herself busy working at Willamette's volleyball camp, teaching private volleyball lessons and working two days a week at Trillium Family Services in Portland.

Trillium is a non-profit organization that helps children with behavioral or mental disorders. Fawcett, a civic communications and media major, doesn't work directly with Trillium's clients. Instead, she is an advocacy intern who is helping promote the accomplishments of Trillium and helping spread mental health awareness.

On Mondays and Tuesdays Fawcett works directly with Camden Hill, the marketing manager at Trillium. "I'll stay with my cousin so I don't have to make the trip twice," Fawcett said.

Fawcett is creating posters and other media to promote Trillium. She also provides blog posts about events Trillium is hosting, works on small brochures and helps with social media. The main slogan of the campaign is to "Keep Oregon Well."

Across the street on the Trillium campus, workers provide one-on-one therapy for the children they serve. In addition, group therapy is available through hands-on projects such as gardening.

Occasionally, Fawcett and other workers in marketing will meet with employees from the main campus during lunch at the Historic Old School Cafe, which is housed on campus. Time spent with other workers gives Fawcett a greater understanding of how Trillium operates and the many services it provides its clients.

This past semester, Fawcett completed a similar internship working at the Mission Mill Museum in Salem. She helped create posters and contributed to organizing and preparing for events.

Earlier this summer, Fawcett was a counselor at Willamette's volleyball camp. It was the third year in a row that she has worked at the camp.

"A lot of the girls have been here all three years," Fawcett noted. "They say 'Hi Red.' They remember me. It's fun."

Fawcett has additional plans for the summer in addition to working at Trillium and providing volleyball lessons.

"I really want to go hiking. I want to venture through Oregon," Fawcett said. She wants to add to the list of places she has hiked in the Pacific Northwest, including several close to her hometown of Normandy Park, Washington, near Seattle.

"Mount Rainier is beautiful ... and the Olympic Peninsula," she said.

It all makes for a well-rounded and exciting summer for Fawcett, who will be one of three seniors on the Bearcat volleyball team this fall. In 2015, Fawcett started all 24 matches. She averaged 1.22 kills per set to go along with 1.10 digs and 0.32 blocks per set.

Last season, Willamette achieved a 15-9 overall record. The Bearcats were 11-5 in the Northwest Conference and finished in third place in the NWC standings.

NOTE:  Summer in Salem is a series of articles about Willamette University student-athletes who are staying in Salem or nearby communities this summer.