When I first arrived at Southern in the fall of '88, my first thought was to try to sign up for a class under Dr. Oates. I wasn't sure how possible that would be given his teaching status, his popularity, and my first year status, but it happened and I was thrilled.

It was during that class that he and I discovered our commonalities. He lived in the same North Carolina town that all of maternal family live in and he worked in the same mill that all of my family have worked in. Therefore he said, we were "kin." Needless to say, I felt special.

My favorite memory of Dr. Oates came in my last year at Southern. I had high aspirations of becoming a pastoral counselor. CPE in a hospital setting was the last thing I wanted to do. But, time was running out and I needed CPE to graduate. I wanted to do mine in a counseling center and I questioned everyone as to why I couldn't. I thought that if I could get Dr. Oates on my side then I would have victory, or at least level the playing field. When I spoke to him about my plans and concerns, he gave me the most pastoral response. "Suck it up, Amy!" Well, I was devastated. The battle was over and I was off to do CPE at Alliant Health Systems. After my first unit, I was hooked and knew from that moment on that hospital chaplaincy was my calling. I am currently at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama and loving every minute of it. My ministry is a tribute to Dr. Oates and it is my hope and my prayer that I can make my "kin" proud.