Frontline workers are truly the MVPs of 2020. Though the coronavirus crisis has exposed the flaws in America’s health care system, it has also revealed the dedication of the doctors and nurses. These men and women behind the scenes have given selflessly to the cause—some even returning to the job years after they’d left it. In New York, volunteers from out of state and retirees have been helping at understaffed institutions across the city. For the last month, Maggie Rawlins has been among them. A registered nurse turned fashion model from South Carolina, Rawlins was appearing in beauty ads and the pages of Sports Illustrated before the outbreak of COVID-19. Now she’s lending her medical skills to patients in need. “When I stepped into this, I hit the ground running. It’s been hectic, but there is such camaraderie among nurses,” said Rawlins speaking on the phone from Manhattan. “The people who do this every day, seven days a week, are truly heroes.”
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Rawlins knew she wanted to work in medicine from an early age, but it wasn’t until she was studying biology at the College of Charleston that she settled on a specialty. “I had always been interested in the sciences, but my school didn’t have a nursing program,” she explains. “I love being hands-on and working with people. With nursing, you have the opportunity to do that and travel while having some job security.” The granddaughter of a night shift nurse, Rawlins also understood the way the profession can touch lives. “These men and women leave such a mark on the people they help,” she says. “No one appreciates that until they need it.”
After transferring her sophomore year to nursing school in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rawlins began her studies in earnest. A medical mission trip to Uganda with One World Health, a charity that provides health care to under-serviced communities throughout the world, cemented her choice. “It was my first time out of the United States, and I loved it,” she said. “Their mission, motto, and the work they do resonated with me; I thought that one day I’d wind up working for them full time because I believe in their long-term mission.”
Rawlins began her career closer to home as a registered nurse in Charleston while she finished her degree, but then fashion came calling. “When a scout first approached me, I thought it was a scam,“ she admits. “I’m athletic, on the shorter side, and not rail thin. After graduation, I had debt from school and medical bills, so when I dug a bit deeper, it seemed like modeling could be an opportunity.” Enticed by the prospect of travel and paying off her student loans, Rawlins decided to give the business a chance after encouragement from her husband. “This is an industry where you can be torn apart if you’re not careful, but I was fortunate,” she says. “I had an anchor. I’m married to the boy who I grew up across the street from, and he was so supportive. I already knew who I was and having a whole other skill set gave me a sense of security. My entire life wasn’t riding on fashion.”
Still, Rawlins, now 27, managed to climb the ranks quickly. Four years into her modeling career, she’s signed to the Lions Management, alongside household names like Irina Shayk and Kate Upton. Even before the pandemic put the fashion world on pause, Rawlins knew she wanted to do something to give back. Charleston is her base, but New York has become a second home. When she heard about the need for volunteers, Rawlins packed her bags. “I felt like coming up here when they needed it was the least I could do for a city that has been so good to me,” she said. “Once you take your NCLEX (the licensing exam for nurses in the United States), you’re able to work in several states, and with everything going on with the coronavirus, the board of nursing lifted some of the regulations, making it possible to help here.”
Currently working between units at several hospitals in Queens, Rawlins has joined her peers on the front lines. The lack of masks and gloves has made the situation harder. “Is it scary? Yes, it is. People are dying and we’re running out of supplies, so it’s a risky scenario,” she says. “I’m not sure what it looks like everywhere else, but it can be chaotic.” Despite the unsettling conditions, Rawlins has been moved by the people she’s met and worked alongside. “Sometimes I feel guilty because a lot of these doctors and nurses came out of retirement, or are working extreme hours full time,” she says. “I only do five days a week and so I can’t speak to their experiences, but they inspire me. The headlines are scary, and those things are real, but there are also people recovering and doing incredible, positive things.”
Once the pandemic is over, hopefully in the not too distant future, Rawlins would like to deepen her commitment to advocacy work for health care workers. “Nurses are on the front lines every single day,” explains Rawlins. “Whether they’re in the ER, doing emergency medical services, or oncology, they put their lives on hold to help other people. Right now, they’re getting respect and recognition due to the coronavirus, but they deserve it all the time, and I don’t want people to forget that.”