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Page 19
Campus Review
January 31, 2014
schedule to make sure every single stu-
dent is successful. She pushes the students
to do conferences that can be very intimi-
dating to young scholars. She looks for
opportunities for all of us to gain experi-
ence and to start our careers! A very spe-
cial lady!” she says. “Dr. Maddox’ class
on neurodiversity helped me view minds
in a totally different way. It gave me the
ability to see the mind as be as diverse as
we are racially and culturally. Dr.
Bridges’ class, the Education System and
the Child, solidified for me that I was on
the right path and that my passion for chil-
dren and their educational well being
would not go unheard.”
Oliver started writing “Again David's
Having Distractions: Friggin Chicken”
when she entered the Clayton State
Master's program.
“Before entering the program, I spent one
year as a teacher at a school for students
who have unique learning profiles or for-
mally labeled `learning disabled,’” she
explains. “Shortly after working there, I
noticed that many, if not all, of the chil-
dren were not learning disabled. They
simply have a unique way of viewing the
world and a unique way of learning. I
knew then it was my job and duty to
understand there minds and alter my
teaching to fit there minds.”
While working as a teacher Oliver was
also getting her B.S. in Psychology from
Clayton State. At the same time, she
noticed that her son was starting to strug-
gle in school.
“I noticed his frustrations with how infor-
mation was being presented to him. I also
noticed how his struggle was affected his
self esteem,” she says. “I wanted him as
well as many other students who have
struggles, whether academically, physi-
cally, social, or emotionally, to have
someone or something that they could
relate to because, as a society, we make
big deals of individuals who are the best
or those who are number one. Also as a
society we have empathy for those dis-
abilities that are easily seen or easily
detected, but it is the invisible `disabili-
ties’ that are swept under the rug and over-
looked.
“So, this story is for those individuals!”
Oliver also notes that her book uses a lot
of humorous writing to engage all readers
and also has vocabulary-building, some-
thing many teachers look for.
“It really does tell the inner feelings of
children who may feel lost and out of
place. It demonstrates how believing in
yourself can make any dream come true,”
she says.
What’s next? Oliver says she is putting
together a non-profit for African American
males between the ages of 11 and 17, seek-
ing to provide basic life skills, leadership
skills, health and fitness (partnering in that
regard with Silver Back Fitness), tutoring,
arts, and a host of other things. She also
plans two write not one, but two follow up
stories to “Again David's Having
Distractions: Friggin Chicken.”
your campus group from Clayton State,
on BOTH occasions that they visited the
Village, (helped). How heartwarming they
all were, courteous, the smiles... they were
ALL SO AMAZING!!!”
Nagy also noted that he had the chance to
speak at length to one of the Clayton State
students, who Welch identified as Racquel
Valadez, a Clayton State junior psycholo-
gy major from Colorado Springs, Colo.,
and a member of the University’s
women’s cross country team.
“(Racquel) was the only young lady…
that I was fortunate enough to exchange
conversation with, (though that’s) not
excluding any of the other extraordinary
ladies & gentlemen that treated our entire
family with utmost respect. From the
Gingerbread House, to the most excellent
Halloween Show, and costumes, my
daughters, wife & myself, will never, ever
forget the love that Clayton State showed,
not only to us, but to everyone else at
Give the Kids the World Village!!! GOD
BLESS ALL OF YOU, may good health
come your way, and a heartfelt THANK-
YOU!”
In addition to Welch, Maddox and
Valadez, the AmeriCorps “Team Orlando”
consisted of Jessica Dent (Augusta), Sara
Diggins
(Austell),
Josee
Dolce
(Riverdale), Keyauna Hopkins (Macon),
Catherine Hutchins (Atlanta), Exell
Jackson (Columbus), Samantha Lapier
(Dalton), Joel Lymon (College Park),
Christopher Manning (Houston), Jevon
Miller (Macon), Nicholas Reed
(Statesboro), Hillary Rimes (Savannah),
Venus Royster (Atlanta), Breanna
Simpson (Jonesboro), and Whitney Smith
(Macon).
Prior to leaving for Orlando, Maddox
noted that, in addition to offering a valu-
able service to the community, the stu-
dents will also have the opportunity to
address the emotional and psychological
impacts on children and families of termi-
nally ill young people. Clearly,
AmeriCorps did have an impact on one
family, and did indeed make a difference,
helping make real one family’s dreams.
Oliver, cont’d. from p. 15
AmeriCorps, cont’d. from p. 16