Since her graduation from Apollo High School in 1996, Alison Feigh has made it her mission to educate the public on child safety. As an author, she’s written two books on child safety and as a program manager for the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC), she travels speaking on the importance of child safety as well as writing curriculum and policy for child safety.
As a classmate of Jacob Wetterling, the impact of his abduction profoundly affected her at an early age. Despite the tragedy that happened, she has fond memories of North Junior High School, too.
Ruth LaDuke is one of her middle school teachers she remembers the most.
“She (LaDuke) was great,” reflects Feigh. “Middle school is never easy for anyone. She took me aside and gave me the pep talk I needed. She always had the social aspect of kids at heart. She cared about the whole person.”
Feigh was the kind of student who was always taking a different path than others to get to the end result. Whether making a tennis shoe-shaped clay pot when all the other students were doing regular forms, or pitching her own book (as a second-grader) during an author visit instead of asking questions, she got things done.
“I’ve always loved writing and reading, ever since I was at Madison,” says Feigh.
It was that passion for literature coupled with the tragic disappearance of Jacob Wetterling that prompted her to write books about safety for children.
While researching children’s literature, Feigh discovered that she could not find any child safety books that were bright and colorful.
Hoping to save at least one child, she wrote her first book, “I Can Play It Safe,” a colorful, brightly illustrated book to help parents speak to their kids about safety measures.
For Feigh, it doesn’t stop with writing books, however. Her work with the JWRC is where her passion is right now.
“My goal is to work myself out of a job,” explains Feigh. “People will say, ‘Boy, I’m worried about you.’ I just love that.”
JWRC and Feigh have a goal: to end child abuse within three generations. The work is endless.
“Every day is different,” says Feigh. “My main [job] description is to get ahead of the problem. I train people and parents about safety. I write curriculum and help with policies for organizations. The work you do is hard, and you don’t always see your impact, but it is worth it.”
Feigh urges the need for more voices. No matter what career path, there is always room for prevention.
“We need all hands on deck,” describes Feigh. “I get to meet so many people with so many stories. If they know someone who has a story, it’s more likely to shape them than statistics.”
So, for this voted “most-friendly” Apollo grad, her work continues. And, her mission is to promote child safety and abolish child abuse.
Feigh speaks around the nation. Contact the Jacob Wetterling Resource Foundation about scheduling a speaker to visit and teach child safety.
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