Pamela O'Berry Evans
Class of 1990
Judge - Virginia
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Pamela O'Berry Evans ('90)
Ms. Pamela OBerry Evans (90), was recently appointed to the position of District Judge in Virginia. Ms. OBerry Evans has been the commencement speaker at Ship, and previous to the judgeship appointment, she was the Chair of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverages. Ms. OBerry Evans was kind enough to provide us with a reflection on her experiences in the ASP program at Ship.
"In 1986, as I approached my last months of high school, I realized that I had not adequately prepared myself for what would come after high school graduation. Although I had been a good student through most of my elementary and middle school years, I had lost focus in high school and had taken no college preparatory classes. Fortunately for me, my high school counselor told me that I would be a great candidate for the summer college preparatory classes offered through Act 101 in the state colleges and universities. He advised that Act 101 would allow me get to academically get back on track, and give me a head start and support for handling college course work. Although I had to give up the summer after high school graduation to start the program, those two months were the best investment of time I have ever made, and that investment has contributed to my academic and career successes. In Act 101, for the very first time, professors and staff helped me identify my academic strengths. This gave me the confidence to believe I could excel in the college setting. Also important was that they encouraged me, supported me and acted as resources to me when I needed to overcome academic deficiencies. By September, when I had finished the program, I was more prepared for the college curriculum than many of the students who were entering Ship without the benefit of the Act 101 program. The virtues of the Act 101 program were proven to me time and again when I achieved 4.0 grades most semesters at Ship, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. After Ship I graduated from the American University Washington College of Law. I was a prosecutor and trial attorney for most of my 16 years as an attorney. Since 2006 I have been a Commissioner and Chairman of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, having been appointed by Virginia's great Governor, Timothy Kaine. Now, I am honored to have been appointed a Judge in the General District Court of Chesterfield County Virginia, effective April 1, 2009. One thing I know for certain: none of this academic or career success would have been possible for me without Act 101. Act 101 took a student with potential, but little preparation or support, and molded an academic high achiever. This strong academic foundation has enabled me to succeed in my legal profession, and now to ascend to the bench as a Judge. For this, I can never thank Ship and Act 101 enough."
Pamela O'Berry Evans Class of 1990
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Ms. Sonia Haynes
Class of 1979
Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health
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Sonia Haynes ('79)
Sonia received her BA in social work in 1979. Additionally, she earned a MED in psychology with an emphasis on psychoeducational processes from Temple University. Sonia works for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health as the public health program manager for Healthy Homes for Childcare, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. She is the recipient of the S.T.A.R. Award from City-Match, The Data Institute for best demonstration of Science Translated to Action and Results, Providence, Rhode Island, 2006. Sonia is an alum of Delta Sigma Theta.
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Dr. Gwendolyn V. Durham
Shippensburg University
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Dr. Gwendolyn V. Durham
Dr. Gwendolyn Vanessa Brown-Durham has been an educator since 1978. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary\Early Childhood from Shippensburg University, a Master of Science Degree in Counseling Education from Shippensburg University, and she earned her Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University. The research in which she conducted for her doctoral study contributed to the university and its on-going quest to find effective reading strategies for first-year, first-semester students in higher education. Subsequently, Dr. Durham is currently employed at Shippensburg University as an assistant professor for the Teacher Education Department. She teaches undergraduate as well as graduate courses.
Subsequently, Dr. Durham was formerly employed in the Shippensburg Area School District, located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. While employed there, she taught grade three, for one year, grade four, for thirteen years, and grade five, for six years. She also served as an elementary guidance counselor for the district for two years. Her passion has always been in education, and she is a life-long learner.
Dr. Durham has dedicated herself to professional growth and continuing education. She is cognizant of diversity and the necessity to have a repertoire of strategies and techniques to meet the needs of students. As an educator her training also included workshops, seminars, and staff development on various trends in education that were offered by the Bureau of Education, Shippensburg Area School District, and neighborhood districts; i.e., Building an Outstanding Curriculum; Strengthening Your Curriculum in the Elementary Classroom; Developmental Approach in Service and Health; Mathematics: A Way of Thinking; Itinerate Support Training; The Writing Process; Skill Streaming; Running Records; Presenting Childrens Literature; Computer Curriculum; Zaner-Bloser Spelling Workshop; Accelerated Reader; Responsive Classroom.
Dr. Durham has been active on the collegiate level at Shippensburg University in various capacities. In 1992-1998, she served on the alumni panel for the Martin Luther King Program. In 1996, she participated in role-play simulations for the teacher education department, and she has been a presenter on current trends in education in several classes. Prior to her tenure at the university, she worked as an adjunct professor. She has taught American School, Multicultural Issues and Strategies in Basic Education, and Developmental Reading. Dr. Durham has served on the Alumni Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Academic Success Board of Directors.
Over the years Dr. Durham has had several noteworthy accomplishments. She was the first to initiate Whole Language I, II, and III among her colleagues when the trend was a novelty. Shortly afterwards she took a course on Outcome-Based Education. She has taken numerous courses on Childrens Literature, and Computer for Educators during the initial stage of the implementation of technology in the classroom. She has produced and directed plays over fifteen years. These plays featured her students as performers. They generated support from school as well as the community. On her own, she developed a unit to enhance her students knowledge and understanding of the African American cultural. One of her most recent accomplishments is was being selected and featured in the 2000-2001 and the 2005-2006 editions of Whos Who among Americas Teachers.
Throughout Dr. Durhams tenure as an educator she remained active with the youth in the community. In fact, she served as a head teacher and Director of a summer youth program in Chambersburg known as, Building our Pride in Chambersburg (BOPIC). Specifically, BOPIC is a summer food enrichment program designed for underprivileged youth in Chambersburg, PA. Each summer year the program serves over 400 students for a period of 8 weeks.
Dr. Durhams personal interest includes reading, family, church, theatrical performances, and exercising. She is a residence of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
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