Sophomore Gavin Ennis and junior Katie Sisk were walking down Corby Drive on Sept. 1 when they saw a student who was injured after falling off his skateboard. The pair called Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP), who brought the hurt student in for a medical examination in Saint Liam Hall.
Ennis had run back to his dorm to grab paper towels. Sisk convinced the student to get a medical examination, even when he thought he didn’t need one.
And both of them stayed with him until 4:30 a.m. the next day, after he had gotten stitches and returned to campus.
NDSP recognized Ennis and Sisk in Hammes-Mowbray Hall on Wednesday afternoon for “going above and beyond to comfort a member of the community.”
“We’re always talking about being our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” police captain Tracy Skibins said. “This was just a fantastic example that was brought to my attention.”
NDSP chief Keri Kei Shibata presented Ennis and Sisk with gift bags in thanks.
“We talk a lot about how important it is to look out for the community and how, if we really want to save the community, it’s up for each member of the community to take ownership for that,” she said. “And it sounds like that’s exactly what you did.”
The students were models for the University’s GreeNDot program, Shibata said.
“The program is all about doing positive things to wipe out acts of violence and things like that,” she said. “It made a difference to one student — and if we keep doing that, we can make a huge difference in our community.”
Ennis said he keeps in touch with the student. Sisk said he was sweet and fun to talk to.
Skibins said this is the kind of story she hopes inspires other members of the campus community.
“We’re such a small department, so we count on the community members to keep each other safe,” she said. “This is just a fantastic example of us all working together.”
