For the Greater Good: How One Elon Student Is Spreading Awareness About Eating Disorders

This article is part of our Spring/Summer 2020 print issue. See the full, digital version of the issue here.

Gigi Woodall believes giving back is her purpose. As an Elon senior, she dedicates her time to spreading awareness about eating disorders. 

Illustration by Emma Spencer.

Woodall works with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), which is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Recently, she got involved with Project HEAL (Help to Eat, Accept and Live), which raises funds for those suffering from an eating disorder who cannot otherwise afford treatment. 

Woodall’s role in each of these organizations fulfills her commitment to educating herself and others on the harmful effects of eating disorders. “I really can’t see myself doing anything else,” Woodall said. “I think human services is my calling.”

Woodall credits her passion for service work to Elon’s Core Curriculum values. She said the Core classes she took as a freshman placed a heavy emphasis on social justice, which led to Woodall’s adoption of a human services mindset.

“I had a very holistic first semester my freshman year that really made me think about how I wanted to do not only the next four years but the rest of my life,” Woodall said.

She found her Core classes motivating, and they inspired her to pursue more volunteer work. 

“Going into college, I wouldn’t have expected that,” Woodall said. “Elon’s Core Curriculum and core values led me down this path and showed me what I’m meant to do.” Drawn to those ideas, Woodall committed to majoring in psychology with a human services minor.

“I came to Elon as a communications student and didn’t feel like I was making a difference or helping anyone,” Woodall said. “It was an innate thing inside of me to want to help others, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else if I wasn’t helping someone.” 

Woodall’s decision to change her path led to her meeting with Assistant Professor of Psychology, Bilal Ghandour, who recommended she should apply for NEDA. “I had a great experience with NEDA, and it solidified the trajectory I wanted to be on,” Woodall said.

Woodall began working with NEDA in May 2018 at its office in New York, and she continues to work remotely for the organization’s online chat hotline.

“It’s an information and referral helpline, and we use it mainly to support individuals who have been affected by eating disorders,” Woodall said. “Sometimes it’s a family member who’s contacting us, but usually it’s people who are reaching out for the first time, and they’re not sure where to go for their next steps.” 

Volunteering for NEDA has been her preferred form of service work so far, she said. 

“NEDA has definitely been my favorite volunteer work just because everyone is so different,” Woodall said. “Being in the office, I met so many like-minded people that were all so committed to NEDA’s mission and NEDA’s values. It was really awesome to see so many people in one space so motivated, working toward the same thing.”  

She also said her work with NEDA has been the most impactful. “A lot of times on the NEDA hotline, people will say that they appreciate me or say how helpful I’ve been,” Woodall said. “Even just something like that sticks with me and kind of solidifies that the work we do is meaningful.”

Woodall’s volunteer work with Project HEAL consists of mentoring an individual currently in treatment for an eating disorder. It is a year-long program in which her role is to support her mentee and talk about eating disorders in safe ways. 

“You want your mentee to see you as someone who they can be someday,” Woodall said. “You’re there to show them that recovery is possible even when it may not feel like it.”

The program Woodall works with is called Communities of HEALing, and she communicates weekly with her mentee over FaceTime. Between Project HEAL and NEDA, Woodall spends about five hours a week doing service work. 

“In retrospect, it doesn’t take up that much time,” Woodall said. “It’s not a burden, and it’s not at the front of my mind.”

When asked why she volunteers, her answer is simple. “I feel like wanting to help others is my vocation,” Woodall said. “I think it’s the way I’m structured and that this is what I’m meant to do.”

In the fall, Woodall will attend graduate school at the University of Southern California, where she will be part of the university’s marriage and therapy program. She is working toward becoming a licensed therapist in her home state of California. 

“I don’t want to limit myself since my focus could change, but I’m excited for this next chapter,” Woodall said.