Summer 2001 - Wayne State College

President's MessageDr. Sheila StearnsDear Alumni and Friends,“What a bunch of characters!”As I visit with many of you in our region and around the country, Iam reminded often that “character” has been part of a Wayne StateCollege education from the beginning. Your service and leadershipactivities tell the collective story of a college whose graduates aremaking a difference in their careers and communities.Let me give you an example. In June I had the opportunity to visit with Jerrine Mote Lucas ’35 in her home in SanLeandro, Calif. Jerri has been a lifelong teacher. For most of her career she taught children in the primary grades. Iasked when she had retired. She smiled and said, “I haven’t retired.” Even as I write, Jerri teaches adult educationEnglish classes in San Leandro three mornings a week and tutors some of her students in the evenings.In between teaching and tutoring, this lovely octogenarian drives herself to the gym every afternoon. Perhaps that is partof why she appears to have been born in 1935, not graduated in 1935. She lives in her own home and plays her pianooccasionally, although she is tired of the same old sheet music. Amazingly, she has been teaching herself Chinese forthe past ten years. A notebook of Chinese characters was on the couch next to me.She tried retiring for a couple of years, but then began to volunteer at the adult education school. So many studentsattended her tutoring sessions that she was soon assigned her own class.Her life is a testament to the connection between education and service. One often leads to the other. At WSC we arecommitted to providing our students with frequent service-learning opportunities. It is through service and leadershipthat their education will truly make a difference in this world.To quote the late Ernest Boyer, a wise thinker about the nature of colleges and universities:“Education for what purpose? Competence to what end? At a time in life when values should beshaped and personal priorities sharply probed, what a tragedy it would be if the most deeply feltissues, the most haunting questions, the most creative moments were pushed to the fringes ofinstitutional life.”College: The Undergraduate Experience in AmericaIn the pages of this magazine you will read about Wayne State faculty, staff, students andalumni who are making service and leadership a pathway to lifelong learning.We hope that all of you engaged in service in so many ways will include that informationwhen you send us class notes. It is through your lives that we take our measure.Jerri Mote Lucas is not an isolated example. Keep it up, Jerri! Many non-English speakersin your community depend on you. America is a better place because of people like you.Your alma mater is proud indeed.Jerri Mote Lucas ‘352WSC Magazine Summer 01210/2/01, 2:48 PM