Help is on the way: jAUnt drivers save the day

Kendal Hull was not in a good place.  

After being hit by a car while on a run, the public relations student had gone from doing marathons to struggling with daily tasks like washing her hair. While Auburn’s Office of Accessibility had set her up with door-to-door golf cart transportation through jAUnt, Hull was still struggling mentally with how long her broken leg was going to keep her down.  

“At first, I was mad,” said Hull, a College of Liberal Arts student and a member of the Air Force National Guard. “I didn’t want to ride in a freaking golf cart anywhere. I wanted to throw my crutches in the ocean and pretend none of this was happening.” 

Based on her daily schedule, Hull’s jAUnt drivers were usually either exercise science major Jack Whatley or Nancy Kay Sharman, a psychology major. Whatley and Sharman’s friendly faces encouraged her to keep going to class when she didn’t feel like it.  

“From the second I sat down, Jack was genuinely kind and made light of the situation in a way that made me feel strong instead of defeated,” Hull said. “I realized it wasn’t the cart that made jAUnt special, it was the people.” 

Between grueling physical therapy sessions and struggling with her newly limited mobility, Hull had few bright spots to look forward to in her day, and one thing she was missing was her morning caffeine fix.  

“Before my accident, Starbucks was my daily staple,” she said. “But being on crutches means you can’t carry a coffee.” 

When she was able to get her favorite cold brew on the way to class, she had to either gulp it down quickly or throw it away completely full.  

Whatley and Sharman noticed her struggle. They decided to fix the situation and approached their friend mechanical engineering major CJ Boice. The trio measured a Starbucks cup against Hull’s crutches, and then Boice 3D printed a custom cup holder and attached it. Hull was touched when she realized what they’d done.  

“On Friday, I left class early and just so happened to see Jack sitting on a bench — he wasn’t even supposed to be there; his class had been canceled,” she said. “He pulled the holder out of his backpack the second he saw me, and I had to hold back tears. 

“In the loneliest, hardest season of my life, they showed up for me — a tiny gesture, but a huge impact.” 

Whatley said he’s grateful that working for jAUnt has put him in a position to give back to others.  

“Whenever I pick up Kendal in the golf cart, she brings joy and laughter along with her,” he said. “I felt that providing a solution to her problem could easily be done, especially for someone who cares so much for those around her. Kendal’s kindness was inspiration enough.”