Wednesday, May 7, 2003
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Wednesday, May 7, 2003 |
Making a bad omen work - one woman's storyLast summer, one of Clayton College & State University's Information Technology students, Annette Wright, had her praises sung for her excellent work with The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Education Program in Plains. Even beyond her IT accomplishments, Wright, a resident of Fayette County, mother of three, and a May 2003 graduate from Clayton State, has a particularly remarkable story to tell. "It was a fluke," she said. "My late husband purchased my first computer two days before he died. I looked at that thing like it was a bad omen. I didn't want anything to do with it." Eventually, though, she began to use it "just to keep me busy, to give me something to do to take my mind off things." And evidently, she became very good at it. Encouraged by her family to go back to school and major in computers, she enrolled at Clayton State. "It was totally out of the blue," Wright said. "I had to turn that bad omen around, make it work for me. It was almost as if it (the computer) was here for a purpose. If my husband hadn't bought that computer, I don't know where I'd be now." Last summer, Wright worked on the Web site for the Jimmy Carter NHS Education Program with Annette Wise, instructional specialist for the program. Her work included "onsite learning for students in the form of field trips and other hands-on experiences," according to Joseph Bowler, assistant professor of Information Technology at Clayton State. "Online programs are also available for teachers worldwide who do not have the opportunity to visit Plains." "(Wright) spent many hours reviewing, revising and developing items for the homepage for the Jimmy Carter NHS Educational Program," added Wise. "She has been dedicated to researching as well as assisting with ideas and ways which can speed the delivery of items to teachers." Wright assisted Wise with the site by creating a calendar, field trip requests form and a student section that contains information for fun and research. The site has been added as a link on The Carter Center's Web site and President Carter, who also viewed it, was very pleased. After graduating Clayton State with Honors this Saturday, Wright should have no problem securing employment after graduation. However, she has no immediate plans for joining the workforce. "I'd like to stay close to home when I do go to work," she says. Being close to her children is a top priority. "Graduation will be very special to me," said Wright. Not only will she be receiving her diploma, but she will also be celebrating a milestone birthday and the fifth anniversary of her husband's death. "All within the same week," she sighed. Nevertheless, as Wright walks onto the stage Saturday, she embraces a future, knowing how it all began; with an omen, one she thought was bad, but which turned out to be very, very good.
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