Because He Cared!

A Saved Star-fish .

by PATRICIA L. MCNEESE
Edited by: Jo Ann M. Whiteman,
Program Coordinator

While substituting in the Citrus County School District a gentlemen came up to me and shared he thoughts. "You would make a great teacher" he said. Well, I did not have a the resources to attend college, going through personal issues and trying to keep myself and daughter together as a family. "This is a nice thought; however, I cannot attend school right now, there are too many life situations that would get into the way." The gentlemen assured me that I could do it and he would help make this a possibility. He and his wife allowed my daughter and I to live in his home while I worked and attended the University of Central Florida. The gentlemen was Dr. Larry R. Hudson and the program at that time was called Vocational Education & Industry Training, now Technical Education & Industry Training.

In 1997, I obtained my B.S. in Vocational Education & Industry Training, M.A. in Instructional Technology and now enrolled in a doctorate program at U.C.F.. I presently work as an Instructional Systems Specialist for the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, FL. My daughter also graduated U.C.F. and obtained a B.A. in Elementary Education.

My story is one of many "starfish stories". I later heard from many students that Dr. Hudson was the "Caring Professor". When you entered the door of his office, your life was never the same. To those of you that are not familiar with Dr. Larry Hudson's writings, I would like to share my story through his prose:

One starfish at a time...

A starfish gets washed up on the beach,
stranded,
with no means of getting back to the sea,
except by tide or accident.
We all know this story.
The same is true of students.
Goals are identified and life founders them.
They become stranded on the beach or
stuck on a sandbar,
with no apparent way of achieving their goals
and improving their lives.

They can’t get back to sea;
there is no returning tide and no accident.
There is only you and me.

That’s why I have to help and so do you--
it is important to each person.
We can’t afford to leave them stranded on the beach.
It makes a difference to the starfish you know.

What we are really is starfish savers!
So, I’ll be here on the beach waiting and searching,
just picking them up and carrying them back to sea...
one starfish at a time.

Larry   Hudson