Town & Gown:
JSU's Janet White is Always Ready to Help
Reprinted here in its entirety.

06-06-07

Jacksonville State University’s Janet White, director of Career Placement Services, has never been able to suppress her urge to help people, which makes her one of the driving forces at “the Friendliest Campus in the South.”

Q: Give us an overview of the volunteer helping opportunities that you’ve encountered in your career.

Mrs. White: I began my teaching career in 1972 in the public school system teaching remedial reading; I have always loved “helping” the student with problems. Soon after I started working with the deaf at the School for the Deaf in Talladega; I knew immediately that teaching students with disabilities was my “calling.” I taught reading and language, and I felt fortunate in the fact that I always seemed to get the brightest deaf students and I absolutely loved teaching language to them. I began my teaching/helping responsibilities at JSU in 1986 as a resource teacher part time.

I soon assumed the role of teacher and case manager. These roles gave me many opportunities to help students. I obtained a master’s degree in learning disabilities, and this knowledge gave me an even greater desire to empower those who had some type of real or perceived learning or emotional difficulty. It was also during time that I went through a three-year training period to become certified in Choice Theory. I feel that this counseling/problem solving model was very beneficial to my students.

Another avenue or “open door” for me to “help” was public speaking. C. S. Lewis is quoted saying that we all live by one or two themes in our lives. I believe that one of my themes is influence. I feel very strongly about such convictions as truth, compassion, patriotism, loyalty, and mercy. I believe as Longfellow once said, “If we could look into the history of all our enemies, we would find enough pain and suffering to disarm all hostility.”

I have had many opportunities to stand before an audience and speak on a variety of subjects. It is my goal every time to “influence for good.” One of my favorite authors, Jim Elliot, a 29-year-old missionary who was speared to death by the ones he came to, said in his journal, “Let me not be a signpost on a road, but rather a fork where people have to choose good or evil.”

Q: Elaborate about some of your success stories at JSU.

Mrs. White: Many will remember Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995. I was Heather’s case manager and teacher when she was a freshman at JSU. I shall never forget the first day in class. I had 10 deaf freshmen sitting around a table, and I asked, “What is your major, what do you want to do when you graduate? As I went around the room, I heard answers like, accountant, computer operator, coach, etc. When I got to Heather, she signed and spoke, “I want to be Miss America.” That following fall, when I saw her perform Via Delarosa in the Miss JSU pageant, I called my director at midnight and told him that we had a Miss America on our hands.

I believe strongly that nothing happens by accident and that God sent Heather and me to her at a very strategic time in both our lives. We learned so very much from each other. I was able again to bring her into my home and life and was impacted very much by her faith and purity. I remember late one Friday afternoon in my office when Heather came in and was having a clash of opinion with her mom.

I took out a quarter and explained the two sides of the coin to represent the same situation but different perspectives. I explained she and her mom only needed more information to see “the other side of the coin.” I was able to follow her to the Miss Alabama Pageant three times and then to Atlantic City for the crown. Soon after she took the title, I received a letter on Miss America stationery. It had two postscripts: “thought you would like to know I used the coin illustration to high school girls, and they understood.” The other postscript was, “Do not correct my spelling,” and she inserted a “we are still very good friends.”

One of my most recent helping opportunities came when I met Farshad Makaripoor, an Iranian graduate student. Seventy-five to 100 students come through the doors of Career Placement Services every month, an average of 5-10 a day for all kinds of reasons.

This one young man was different. He had a childlike grin, a warm, pleasant demeanor with eyes full of hope. It was almost comical; the way he approached me optimistically expecting me to have a job for him. I assumed he wanted a campus job because, although we place only JSU students who have degrees, we have many students mistakenly coming to us for part-time work.

I answered, “You must have a degree.” Farshad responded, “I do have a degree, but it is not from JSU.”

I asked him for his resume, and he quickly scrambled in his book bag to produce it. I jokingly said, “Wow, we need to work on this one.” Farshad showed no offense but followed me into my office. Farshad and I conversed about his education and the proper format for the resume, and then I noticed that he had taught at the American University in Kazakhstan. How “coincidental” is that? My daughter spent three summers at the exact same university with Campus Outreach Ministries.

Farshad returned to my office the following week, and we worked together on his resume as well as building our relationship.

I knew in my spirit that God had brought him across my path; there were just too many “coincidences.” We had too much in common. It was not long at all that I began to learn a lot about Farshad; his love for his family, his love for his homeland, his love for freedom, his love of writing, his love of America. Soon, mutual respect and friendship developed. I knew this young man was “destined” to come through my doors. He recently finished the book, From Darkness to Light, and graduated with his master of public administration degree on April 27.

To contact White, call 782-5092.

About Dr. William A. Meehan

Dr. William A. Meehan is president of Jacksonville State University. His column, Town & Gown, appears in The Jacksonville News.

See story at The Jacksonville News's website: www.jaxnews.com .

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