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I By *| GENE WARREN Director of Public Information THE SENIOR C1TEENS WILL TURN 66 YEARS OLD AND RECEIVE HER COLLEGE DEGREE SAME DAY Come next May 11, and Helen Caswell Sheen*, a Tf resident at Lumberton, will celebrate her Mth birthday t... and on the same day receive her bachelor' ? degree at P8U it. with a double major in psuehology and political science. She then plans to enter law school, fully realizing that , - by the time she gets her law degree, she will be 09 years cold. "a "I feel Tib* able to practice law actively for at least 16 "' yrere," Mrs. ffceens, full of vim and vigor, says. "My mother is 88 and still going strong. The longevity in my . family is good." ?n. For 88 years, the fiesty Mrs. flaans was a civilian <! wing wflit the military with assignments in such places ?c as Germany and Korea. When she retired in '86, she was . - a GS-14, which she said was equivalent to a full colonel. . As a logistics management specialist, Mrs. Sheens was director of the defense Inventory Management Course at 'jthe Army Logistics College in PL Lee, Va., when she . retired. hi her positions with the military, Mrs. Sheens has had , 88 people under her and 28 nationalities. She has had to Stake members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and "weld them together," she says, along with America's international allies in order to teacher her .courses. IN 1971-72, Mrs. Sheens was the first woman, she said, to be selected on an Army Logistics and Instruction Team * to goto Korea. "I think I paved the way for women in the ? military," she said. <- hi Korea, she was presented a citation signed by four generals. "They soon forgot I was a female," smiled the native of Belleville, DLL. She achieved all of this without ever earning a college degree and aleo while rearing four children. She and her husband were divorced in '68 when she was 38 years old and with children ages 18, 17, 11 and 6. Her only college work came in 1948-44 when she spent one semester each attending Washington University at SL Louis, Mo., and the University of Illinois. The remainder of her schooling she received in the service, taking advantage of the opportunities to attend as many schools as possible. She demonstrated her academic skills by repeatedly passing the College Entrance Examination. "During those days, there was discrimination against women in the military, and the only job I could get was one of clerk typist This was despite the fact that 87Vi percent of those taking the examinations failed it and only 10 percent of the ones passing it were hired-and they were men," she said. In August '67, this discrimination ended because of an executive order, and in two months, Mrs. Skeens was "called for a job as an intern and went to school in the logistics area." Her positions have included: 1967-71- supply management specialist Aviation Systems Command, St louis. Mo.; 197f-72 - logistics management specialist Army Logistics and Instruction Team, Korea; 1972-75 supply management specialist Aviation Systems Command, St Louis, Mo.; 1975-79-logistics officer, 5th Signal Command, Worms, Germany; 1979-81--account able officer. Bad Wertenbeig Area, VII Corps, Germany; 1981-82-project manager. Trooper Support Command, St Louis, Mo.; and 1982-85-director, Defense Inventory Management Course. Army Logistics College, Ft Lee, Va. r- Why in these retirement years, which so many dreams about when they are young, does Mrs. Skeens want to earn a degree and go to law school? HHi* Shttnt "In the three yean I was retired from 1985-88,1 was bored," she says frankly, "My mind has always been active. I knew I couldn't continue for the rest of my Ifie the way I had spent those three years." And so, having moved to Lumber-ton where three of her children were living at the time (the oldest child, Michael, died in a drowning accident at the age of 38), Mrs. Sheens decided to enter psu. she has since made the Dean's List for two semesters. "Diave enjoyed going to school with the young people, I think I'm the oldest person on the campus," said Mrs. Skeens, who admitted she is "sometimes exhausted" after heavy class loads on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sable Purvis, 37, is the only one of her children still living in Lumberton, Rebecca Sue Seib-Traup, 44, is an anthropologist who worked in this area with the Lumbee Indians assisting with tribal enrollment before moving to Maryland. David Skeens, 33, is employed in steel work in Hickory. Of the deceased Michael Skeens, Mrs. Skeens recalled that as a satellite communications expert, he sang to Sally Ride, the first woman astronaut in space, when she took her space ride in June of '83. "He sang 'Good Night,Sally' to her over the communications system," said Mrs. Skeens. As a senior citizen, Mrs. Skeens is this year taking advantage of the UNC system's tuition waiver for persons at least 65 years old. "All I'm having to pay for are my books and fees," she smiled. In law school, she wants to pursue the fields of DiscriminationLaw and Family Law. "The most discrimi nated-against people in the U.S. are the poor - economic illy, legally, socially, etc. Most poor people can't afford $5 for a lawyer. So they go to court and take their knocks and get a record," she says. "I've had a good life and feel I owe something to society." Mrs. Sheens considers her age an asset -not a detriment- as she pursues further knowledge. "In adult development, some shut down in their 20d, some shut down in their 30s and 40s. Some are not psychologically mature until they reach 45 or 66. At that stage, psychologically you are just learning to do metaeogntive thinking--taht is, taking complex problems together and coming up with solutions. The older you become, the easier metacognitive thinking becomes and the better you are at resolving your personal problems- to make your life richer and therefore enriching the lives of other people along the way." Of her own life, which has been spent so much ia the learning process, Mrs. Sheens concluded with a smile: "ithink Til die with my shoes on in the classroom." Say you read it in Yflba (BoMro&lna UaMtfto? Vaiaa I FOR SNUFF | THATS SWEET AS HONEY, GIVE HONEYBEE m Helme Tbbatto | Company Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers Appearing In Concert For A ONE NIGHT Only Performance. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 8:00 P.M. RESERVED SEATING *13*\ ?12*\ *11*> Group Rata* Art Diacountad *1.00 Par Tickat Sponsored By l*|p. EflC RAM ADA INN zSSeSL# t | wmm ?tm omwckh mm, n|?hi i gflflfL irivens Performing Arts Center /MaHAW/ auto rental ? A DAY AND UP Call: LOWERY LTD. 302 E. lad St. Lumberton, NC At: 739-1528 Nights & Weekends 738-8610 I Fire Dept. visits Piney Grove M observance of Fire Prevention Week, the Saddletree Fire Department did a demonstration from their firs truck on Wednesday, October 10, 1990 for students at Piney Grove Elementary School. The firemen explained the use of each tool carried by the fire truck. They also gave advice on how to escape ? home fire and how to check for fire hazards. Students were given helpful literature on "Fire Prevention." At the end of this presentation the Saddletree Firemen were called from their truck to an actual fire m the community. They left Piney Grove with flashing red light*. [ScholarshipsAvailable I High School students who are interested in applying for I $1,000 college scholarships should request applications by December 14,1990 from Educational Communications Scholarship Foundation, 721N. McKinley Road, P.O. Box 5002, Lake Forest, IL 60045-5002. To receive an application, students should send a note stating their name, address, city, state, zip code, approximate grade point average and year of graduation. All requests for applications will be fulfilled on or about January 15, 1991. Seventy-five winners will be selected on the basis of academic performance, involvement in extracurricular I activities and need for financial aid. 'A CALL 919-521-2826 TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE M ?TTSW1SETV ADVERTISE " EUREKA M i?i m PI "79" ESP* Ultra' 6.5 amp Extra Suction Powers motor, Triple Filter^-'Baft System &. ESP* selector. Auto matic carpet height adjustment. LIGHTEN OUR B ^B BIB IB IB B^^B AA Afl ^|^B^H||| .. ^HgH^^Bfa| ^ BB BB ^B BB BlBBBBBBBnB -'Br^ * II U I I I mm F I v /' alHI^Ht ^| ^B^r ^^^IB * l!%lrsST *!??> ]A?|ai|^^^^^^H I Pm^m (M^flpii* NMwn you s^gn up for CP&Lls EZ $64 FVogram, youH be do?nc more than helping yourself to up to $$4 a year. By allowing CP&L to occasionally interrupt your ar conditioner and yotr water heater, youll also be helping us to reduce demand on peak days. And the real beauty of the program is this: The only time you be likely to kncwyouVe in fcZ $64 is when we credit your bill. Obu see, your air conditioner^ fen will keep air v'' - ' rTxving throughout your fiorne and >* ? * "* most water heaters keep plenty of hc$ 1 *? water stored up) And of coursd.^ll never cut ytxi off during weekends?- : holiday periods. tZ $64 from CP&L.NMien you " > said you wanted ? more help with your power bills, SKXmSBSS we listened. iWMfcfea K 4
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Oct. 18, 1990, edition 1
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