This is Maddy Butler, a 21 year old junior at Chico State. She is getting her degree in international relations with a minor in women’s studies.

When asked what the craziest, most unexpected moment of her entire life was, she replied by saying, “Ok, well it’s not very happy though.”

After promptly telling her that it was fine, Maddy began to open up about a very sensitive moment that she experienced when moving to Chico.

“My whole life I’ve always wanted to help people and that has always been sort of an abstract, vague desire, but I never had any experience with real hardships that a lot people go through. When I first came here, I met my uncle who was homeless. I became exposed to kind of this whole other type of person. Not a bad type of person, but people who value getting to take a shower every once in a while, or people who value getting a blanket. That was just so surprising for me to have because I got to know a lot of people, and I do know a lot of people right now who are homeless,” Butler said.

After being forever changed by seeing this other side of life, Maddy Butler has worked at the local homeless shelters around the Chico area and says she will continue to do so for a long time to come.