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Alumni News
Kennedy graduates have many meaningful stories of their experiences after leaving Kennedy, and we are pleased to begin sharing those stories here.
Peggy Forrest '72
Executive Director - Our Lady's Inn
Peggy Brooks Forrest, ‘72 Kennedy Catholic grad, was recently appointed Executive Director for Our Lady’s Inn. Our Lady's Inn is an emergency shelter and maternity home program for pregnant women and their children. Opened in 1982 in St. Louis and 2006 in St. Charles, it is a life-affirming alternative to abortion. More than 5,000 women with their children have been helped by our Lady's Inn. Peggy's appointment was featured in an article online in the St. Louis Review, and we encourage you to read the entire article.
Peggy also serves on the Kennedy School Board. Thank you Peggy for your commitment, faith and "yes" to helping women and children in need. We are proud of you and blessed you are part of the Kennedy Catholic family.
Mark Coughlin '82
Mission Haiti
Mark and his siblings (Deborah, Michael, David, and James) are all Kennedy graduates. His parents, Stephen and Corrine Coughlin, still live less than a mile from Kennedy! Mark has many fond memories of his time at Kennedy and said he made great friends there. He ran cross country and track and enjoyed playing in the band. Mark attended St. Louis University and then pursued filmmaking and music production. Music came first with Mark and was always a big part of his life. He tried some other careers, but he kept coming back to music. In the last several years, he has become interested in film because he loves the storytelling aspect of it. Mark and his wife, Suzanne, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, with their two children, Erin and Emily. He is a member of St. Monica's Parish in Duluth, Georgia.
 Kennedy: Hello, Mark. I’m so glad you’ve allowed us to share your story and your involvement with the amazing people of Haiti. Mark: Thanks. I appreciate you interest in our work!
Kennedy: Your first trip to Haiti was with your parish St. Monica’s. What is their involvement with the country and what was the purpose of your initial visit?
Mark: My parish of St. Monica has had a mission at a parish in Hinche Haiti since 1999. Several years ago, I went down with our medical mission team in order to make a film documentary about the mission. I studied Haitian Creole intensively for 6 months before going down, so that really helped me see more of the real Haiti. Since then, I have become fluent, which has opened many doors.
Kennedy: On your first trip what had you expected to see? Did you ever anticipate that Haiti and its people would become such a large part of your life?
Mark: I knew I would see severe poverty, but nothing can quite prepare you for witnessing it firsthand. I saw a lot of people, especially children, dying and suffering needlessly and that really crushed me. I knew right away that the direction of my life had to change.
 Kennedy: You told me earlier that you fell in love with the country’s beautiful landscape, culture and people? Can you put into words what exactly drew you to them?
Mark: The only thing more shocking than the conditions and the suffering there is the incredible spirit of the people. The people there, many of whom have almost nothing, often seem happier and more full of faith and love than people in the US, who supposedly have everything. This fascinates me to no end and I have tried my best to learn from the amazing wisdom of these people. Haitian culture is not at all what you have seen on television. Especially in the countryside, they have a beautiful way of patiently caring for one another.
Kennedy: Unfortunately, even before the earthquake, Haiti was a struggling nation. What types of thing did you experience that inspired you to make a change?
Mark: As I mentioned above, you can’t witness suffering and deprivation on that scale and not be moved. In particular, I saw that a lack of health education was literally killing people and that not much was being done about it, so I decided to make that my personal mission.
Kennedy: Your organization “Better Health for Haiti” seems to be a very innovative way to improve the lives of Haitians. Can you tell me a little more about your organization? How did you create it? What is its mission and who does it affect?
Mark: I started, with help from my brother Michael, who has a lot of experience from working in Africa, and some Haitian friends by creating some songs and videos in Haitian Creole about a few health topics like oral hygiene and hand washing. I really didn’t know if they would be accepted, but it turned out that people there really get a big kick out of seeing an American guy sing in Creole and dance around like a fool. After I had created more songs and videos on other topics, I began forming teams of health educators in various parts of the country to put on health presentations using the songs and videos. The materials have also been adopted by numerous organizations working in Haiti, such as the Red Cross, Partners in Health, World Vision and the Haitian Ministry of Health. The videos also play regularly on Haitian National Television and the songs play on radio stations throughout Haiti. Currently, our teams are aggressively working on the cholera problem, fanning out in the countryside to provide education on prevention. Hopefully, we are making a difference.
 Kennedy: It seems as though the work of St. Monica’s and “Better Health for Haiti” has really made a positive impact on the country. How was it when the news broke about the earthquake? What was your initial response? Mark: I will always remember where I was when I heard the news. I knew it would be devastating because of the poor construction in Port au Prince and also the lack of infrastructure and emergency services. Some team members and I managed to get down 5 days after the quake and did what we could. I hope I never witness anything like that again. It was truly heartbreaking.
Kennedy: How soon could you get back to Haiti after the earthquake? What did you experience? What type of work were you doing?
Mark: I went back to Haiti a second time one month after the quake with a planeload of tents. While there, team members and I did a lot of health education in the tent cities.
Kennedy: What are the conditions like now and is there any semblance to normalcy?
Mark: Haiti is still a long way from normal and reconstruction has not begun in any significant way. It will take several years at least. Many people are still living in precarious conditions and now cholera is spreading. I hope the world will not forget what is going on there.
Kennedy: It’s hard when such a massive event is no longer “news”, yet there is still so much to be done? What do the people of Haiti most need now? What are the most critical ways members of the Kennedy Community can help?
Mark: Right now, the people of Haiti need shelter above all else, as well as safe water and reliable food supplies. They also need the countries who promised funding to actually deliver on their promises. Most of the foreign money has not been delivered. So much more could be done already in terms of housing and safe water. I would encourage the Kennedy community to continue to give to trusted charities working in Haiti, remembering that this is a long road, and to keep Haiti always in their prayers.
Kennedy: In closing, if you could let people know anything about Haiti, its people and its culture, what would it be?
Mark: When you go work among the poor, you always receive more than you give and learn more than you teach. These people, who have so little, teach us what is truly important in life. Here, we are so distracted by our wealth and technology and are so insulated by our comforts that we tend to miss the big picture. The Haitian people are teaching me about faith, hope and love.
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