Infinite Possibilities
When one hears the term “infinite
possibilities,” the response to those words is often disbelief or at the very
least, a strong doubt that such a thing exists. Most often, society gives
children and adults alike the impression that human beings are limited as to
what they can achieve.
But we are not limited creatures and
there is no limit to what we can achieve through hard work, discipline,
determination and a belief in our own abilities.
In this special issue of Pathways,
you will be introduced to five CAU alumni who have pursued their dreams,
overcame any limitations facing them (physical or otherwise), and achieved
excellence in their educational endeavors and chosen profession.
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson
challenged racism to become a decorated Tuskegee Airman. Karen Jefferson became
such a noted historian and archivist that she was recently selected by
President Barack Obama to serve on a national archival commission. Jason Jones persevered through total physical
blindness to graduate from CAU with a master’s degree in May 2012 and is
looking forward to a rewarding career in counseling. Terese Jones courageously
decided to pursue her dream of a career in social work and, therefore, returned
to college after five years of teaching. She was recently selected as a
Presidential Management Fellow and soon will be starting the career she dreamed
of for years. Last but certainly not least, Anthony Pinder is excelling in a
field in which few African Americans work and has found great success. Pinder
is an internationalist and is helping to lead the higher education sector in
preparing young people for the global business environment.
Each of these terrific people has a
unique story, and each of their accomplishments offer inspiring lessons in
diligence, confidence and a commitment to success.
Please enjoy this special issue of
Pathways
Red Tails Over Italy: CAU Alumnus Reflects on Years as Tuskegee Airman
When Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson (CC ’42) came to Clark University in
1938 from his home in Detroit, it was a little like coming back home. As a
child, he spent summers with his a grandfather a United Methodist minister who
lived near the old Clark Atlanta University campus. At the time – circa late 1920s
to the early 1930s -- Jefferson and his friends played on the old Clark
University campus, which was located on Jonesboro Road south of Georgia Avenue
near downtown Atlanta.
In 1938, he set out from his Detroit home in a 1932, single-seat Model A
Ford and began his four-year matriculation at Clark University. On March 12,
1940, Clark University amended its charter, changing its name to Clark College
in March of that year. Therefore, Jefferson graduated from Clark College in
1942 with a bachelor’s of science degree in biology and chemistry. Upon
graduation, he immediately volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps, having been
motivated to do so the previous year after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941.
On September
23, 1942, he was sworn into the United States Army Reserves and applied to
flight school. To his disappointment, he initially was not accepted for flight
training. Not one to waste valuable time, he took a job as an analytical
chemist and entered a graduate program at Howard University.
“I was
determined to get into flight school and applied again to the U. S. Army Air
Force and was accepted into training at the Tuskegee (Ala.) Army Air Field in
April 1943,” said Jefferson.
“After receiving my pilot’s wings and officers commission at Tuskegee in
1944, I became a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 332nd ‘Red Tail’
fighter group at the Ramitelli Airfield in Ramitelli, Italy.”
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson
During and
after flight school, Tuskegee Airmen endured a barrage of racially
discriminatory incidents and indignations from white officers and white
enlisted men.
“One night some
of the other black pilots and I wanted to go out to the officers’ club and we
didn’t see why we couldn’t. After all, we were promoted to second lieutenants
upon graduating from flight school. Boy, did they show us,” he said with a
laugh. “When we got to the club, we were told that we couldn’t come inside
because it was for whites only. Even though the NAACP protested on our behalf,
we still were not allowed to enter the club.”
Despite very
intense racial discrimination, becoming a Tuskegee Airman was a long-held dream
realized for a man who made model airplanes as a child because he wanted to fly
airplanes. Assigned to a fighter escort wing protecting bombing missions of the
U. S. 15th Air Force, his job was to attack key ground targets and
guard the bombing mission against enemy fighters by escorting bombers from
Italy to Germany.
“Flying was
exciting,” said Jefferson. “It was very, very exciting.”
During his 19th
mission over Toulon, France, Jefferson was shot down on August 12, 1944, and
held at a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Poland by Nazi ground troops for nine
months.
“Blacks and
whites were kept in separate quarters. Otherwise, I was treated like any other
officer by my German captors,” said Jefferson. “I was liberated by General
[George] Patton’s 3rd Army after nine months of internment and
continued to serve my country.”
After the war, Jefferson served as an instrument instructor at Tuskegee Army Airfield
until it closed in 1946. He retired from the U.S. Air Force reserves in 1969 as
a lieutenant colonel. In 1947, Jefferson received his teaching certificate from
Wayne State University, and began teaching elementary science for the Detroit
Public School System, work he describes as “very rewarding.”
He earned a master’s degree in
education in 1954 from Wayne State University, and was appointed assistant
principal in 1969, a position he held until retirement in 1979.
In 1995,
Jefferson was enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame and in 2004,
President George Walker Bush awarded Jefferson with a Purple Heart for being
shot down and wounded over Nazi-occupied France. On March 29, 2007, Jefferson
attended a ceremony in the U. S. Capitol rotunda, where he and the other
surviving veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen (and their widows) were awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service.
Today, at age
90, Jefferson spends his days traveling the country on speaking engagements,
giving lectures and promoting his personal memoir, "Red
Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: The Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW."
Presidential Appointment: President Barack Obama Selects CAU Alumna to National Commission
Karen Jefferson (AU ’75) is living proof that
one never knows how a decision made decades earlier will lead to the
opportunity of a lifetime. Jefferson (who is not related to Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson) said that when she graduated from Howard
University with a degree in 1974, she had plans to become a lawyer but she never thought of becoming a librarian. However, in her senior year,
Jefferson was working in Howard’s Divinity School Library when the librarian
asked if she might be interested in pursuing a master’s degree in library
science.
Her decision to say
yes to that question led her to Atlanta University, where she was offered a
full scholarship with stipend to study in the school’s one-year program. In
1975, she graduated from Atlanta University with a master’s in library science.
“The decision to
pursue a degree in library science at Atlanta University turned out to be the
best decision in my life,” said Jefferson.
“I was able to combine the library science degree and my love of history
into a very rewarding career.”
Jefferson’s career
began as a library technician at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC)
at Howard University, where she was promoted into positions of increasing
responsibility. She left Howard after 18 years and became a program officer at
the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Preservation and Access,
and then moved to Duke University to become the archivist for the John Hope
Franklin Research Center for African and African American Documentation.
Karen Jefferson
Jefferson was hired
as head of Archives and Special Collections at the Atlanta University Center
Robert W. Wooduff Library in 1998 and held that position until accepting her
current role as records manager in 2008. In this role, she develops and
administers a program for the care of institutional records from their creation
to their designation as documentation of historical value.
“I love that as an
archivist and records manager, I am able to give back to my alma mater by
helping to ensure that its rich history is preserved for present and future
generations to learn, be proud and achieve,” said Jefferson. “It is also a joy
to share what I have learned with students and the general public, helping them
to understand that history is exciting and relevant.”
In April 2012, President Barack Obama appointed Jefferson to the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission after being nominated
in February. The Commission has a 15-member board chaired by the Archivist of
the United States and includes historians, archivists, documentary editors, and
records administrators. The primary
activity of this body is to review grant proposals and provide advice about
policies and procedures.
“I am pleased to be
recognized as a leader in the archival profession and to be able to assist the
Commission with issues and projects that support the development and growth our
profession, and thereby, the preservation of our nation’s history and culture,”
said Jefferson. “Of course, being
appointed by this historic U. S. president is a special honor.”
Jefferson, a member
and Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and a founding member of the
Academy of Certified Archivists, added that it is a privilege to represent the
expertise found in the staff at the AUC library and the AUC institutions.
Lessons in Courage and Perseverance: CAU Graduate is a Model for Others
Jason
Jones (CAU ’12) is a walking, talking testimony to great accomplishments that
can be attained, no matter what challenges one faces in life.
Since the
Detroit native completed a 17-hour bus ride to Clark Atlanta University on a
cold January day in 2008, he has been going non-stop, delving
into campus life, his graduate studies, two internships and an active social
life. He has made many friends and has attracted even more admirers by just being
himself: independent, outgoing, tenacious and an all-around positive outlook on
his future. He can often be seen walking about campus and “chatting it up” with
other students and professors, all the while participating in campus activities
and events.
Jones
would be a great example for students by any measure but one fact makes him and
what he is accomplishing all the more remarkable.
“I am
totally blind and have no ability to see at all,” said Jones. “I have no light
perception or physical sight.”
Jones
graduated from CAU on May 21, 2012, with a master’s degree in community
counseling. He plans to remain in Atlanta and pursue a career counseling
children and people battling substance abuse. Prior to graduation, he completed
a practicum in counseling with Wells of Wholeness and another one with Metro
Psychiatric Associates, which specializes in mental illness, substance abuse
and dual diagnosis.
“I learned
so much from each practicum, including making a correct diagnosis, documenting
clinical notes, case management and medication management,” said Jones. “I feel
really prepared to be successful as a community counselor. You have to have the heart, patience and
spirit for this work, and I have always known that this is what God wants me to
do with my life. ”
Jason Jones
Jones, a
graduate of Mary Grove College in Detroit, plans to use his bachelor’s degree
in religious studies and music to incorporate music therapy into his work in
counseling, as he believes that it helps to bring about healing and stimulation
for the mind.
Jones says
that CAU was a perfect choice for him due to the graduate program and the
nurturing and supportive environment he experienced from his first visit to the
campus in March 2007. After carefully considering 30 programs at other universities,
one visit to the CAU campus was enough to convince Jones that it was the right
place for him. He traveled to the campus from Detroit alone by bus back in 2008
and has lived on his own in an off-campus apartment for the past four years.
Jones also
plans to be a very active and involved alumnus and hopes to serve as an
inspiration to other students as he pursues his career goals and continues to
make inroads in his field.
“I know that each day brings opportunities and
challenges. I just choose to remain positive and focused and to be myself no
matter what the day brings,” said Jones. “I just thank God for the willpower
and the disposition to maintain focus on what I need to accomplish and impact
people positively in the process."
A Dream Fulfilled: CAU Graduate Selected as Presidential Management Fellow
Terese
Jones (CAU ’12) describes herself as having a long-held “passion” for social
work even while she enjoyed a fulfilling career as an elementary school teacher
for five years. Jones, who has a bachelor’s degree in educational leadership
from University of North Carolina with a minor in social work, would often use
her social work education to help her students with a range of problems.
However, her interest in social work motivated her to make a life altering
decision to pursue a full-time career in the field.
When Jones (who is not related to Jason Jones) was accepted into the Whitney M. Young Jr., School of Social Work’s graduate
program, she knew she had made the right decision and never looked back. On May
21, 2012, she graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a master’s of
science degree in social work and an accomplishment that most people can only
dream of achieving: Presidential Management Fellow.
The
former teacher was one of only 600 selected for the fellowship from a pool of
9,000 applicants in 2012. As a Presidential Management Fellow, Jones is heading
to Washington, D.C., to begin a new career as a project manager in the Division
of Adolescents: Teen Pregnancy and Abstinence with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
“It
is a great honor and a great opportunity to be selected as a fellow,” said
Jones. “The program allows us to
find a position with any federal government organization and work in that role
for two years. We are able to rotate to other organizations within those two
years for learning and enhancement. At the end of the two years, the
position that we choose will become our permanent position with the
federal government. I am delighted.”
Terese Jones
Jones was
selected through a rigorous process in which she competed with thousands of
people vying to be part of the elite group chosen as Presidential Management
Fellows. Becoming a fellow opens a world of opportunities to Jones and she is
already taking advantage of one of those opportunities: applying her social
work education to a long-held interest in children’s education and children’s
social issues.
As a
project manager, Jones will be part of the Division of Adolescents: Teen
Pregnancy and Abstinence’s efforts to curtail the number of babies being born
to unmarried teenagers. She will also work with an educational component of the
agency’s program that addresses the persistent concerns about teen sexual
activity.
“The
consequences of teenage sexual activity and non-marital childbearing are many
and serious for teens, their families, their communities, and society,” said
Jones. “I am very excited about the impact of work that we will be doing to
address abstinence, education and awareness about teenage pregnancy as well as
prevention programs,” said Jones.
Jones
credits the graduate program at CAU’s School of Social Work with intensifying
her interest in how social work can address societal issues. She also gives
credit to CAU for contributing to her ability to pass the strenuous testing and
evaluative process required to be selected as a Presidential Management Fellow.
In
addition to relocating to Washington, D. C., and starting her new position in
July, next on Jones’ agenda is applying for her social work licensure.
“I
faced some real challenges in my life a few years ago and I promised myself
that if given the opportunity, I would go back to college, get a master’s
degree in social work and begin a new career,” said Jones. “This is all like a
dream come true.”
Going Global: CAU Alumnus Has a Mission to Prepare College Students for the Global Marketplace
The Philadelphia native became an administrator
in higher education 12 years ago just as globalization of the marketplace was
intensifying and the need for college students to be prepared to compete and
succeed in such a world was becoming a requirement. The field of international
education has seen a tremendous expansion in its importance in post secondary
education in the last 25 years and Pinder is a man on a mission: He is
committed to ensuring that higher education institutions are doing their part
to prepare students to navigate their careers successfully in a global business
environment.
“Effective educational leaders, in large part,
are those who understand the critical need to make changes as the business
environment warrants, and they also have the ability to lead those changes,”
said Pinder. “One result of my nearly 27 years as an internationalist is the
understanding of how globalization has affected postsecondary education and,
will no doubt, continue to influence how students must be prepared to compete
in marketplace. Creating a campus climate in which students can cultivate
intercultural and comparative skills of all kinds, from the local to global,
should be paramount for all institutions.”
Anthony Pinder
Pinder
graduated from Clark Atlanta University on May 21, 2012, with a doctorate in
educational leadership and will use the knowledge gained in the program to
continue strengthening his role as the Georgia Gwinnett College’s chief
international officer. In this role, he provides
institutional leadership for the international education agenda and develops strategic
global alliances with the diplomatic community, senior government officials
overseas, and cooperating institutions worldwide.
He
serves on both Georgia Gwinnett College’s Provost’s Leadership Team and the
college’s SACS/QEP Steering Committee.
He also chairs the college’s participation in a national
Internationalization Laboratory of eight institutions, sponsored by the
American Council on Education (ACE). In addition, he manages study abroad,
international exchange agreements and international student recruitment.
Pinder believes that his role as administrator
also requires him to prepare graduates for the challenges and opportunities of
the 21st century and ensure that international education continues
to be expanded in its importance within post secondary education.
“I am completely committed to the
internationalization of higher education,” he said. “The doctoral program in
educational leadership at Clark Atlanta University underscored the importance
of exposing students to the world abroad. The program also immensely deepened
my commitment to preparing young people to succeed in a very competitive and
globalized marketplace.”
Pinder, who holds a master’s degree in
international economics and Latin American studies from The Johns Hopkins
University’s School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor’s degree
in finance from Morehouse College, foresees globalization continuing to force
the academy to make tough and innovative resource and programmatic
decisions.
“I am hopeful that the combination of my doctorate
from CAU, experience and research interests will translate into an influential
voice that helps to facilitate internationalization becoming a pervasive
institutional imperative in higher education,” said Pinder.
#
# #
No comments:
Post a Comment