PSU Magazine Fall 1998

Since childhood, my attention has been drawn to classmates who seemed to be without friends. I neve r thought I was doing anything unusual bringing younger students into my circle. As a teenager, I wanted to incorporate eve ryone into our high schoo l. So by the time I started co llege, I knew I wanted to counsel individual students in a university setting. For two years during World War II , I worked in the Land Lease Administration in the Personnel Department, assigned to new hires. But we were at war, and in 1944 I enlisted in the U .S. Marine Corps Women 's Reserve. Even there, with all the memo– rable tra ining I got-six grueling weeks of phys ical training at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune in the middle of the summer (I 've never been thinner!)- 1 ended up ass igned to work in the Rehab ilitation Department in the New O rleans office. So I've always worked with peop le who were trying to sort out their careers or get started in a new endeavor. I have been to many places, done many things, and enj oyed them all. Just before I began work at PSU in 1964, I considered an offer at a university in Alaska. But there I would h ave had to teach half time and only counsel half time. Bes ides, I loved Oregon at first sight and dreaded all that Alaskan snow. At PSU I did enj oy some teaching, once exchanging duties with Professor Chad Carr to conduct biofeed– back and relaxation classes while he took some of my counseling load. But it was working one-on-one with the students, helping them see their options that made my work so satisfy ing. For example, under Pres ident Joe Blume!, I helped develop a program to help students who had fai led because of their overly fu ll academic and outside workloads. We readmitted them under the stipulation of a 12-credit limit per term and no full-time job. Of the 125 students readmitted, more than half completed their degrees at PSU. Portland State has amazed me as it's moved from Vanport to Lincoln High to a full university up and down the Park Blocks, all the time growing in response to student needs. PSU has evolved and stayed right on targe t; it is only now getting recognition in terms of a just share of state dollars and charitable donations. I'm honored to be recognized as a member of the Centennial Society for establishing a deferred payment charitable gift annuity. It will ultimately benefit the Women 's Association Endowed Scholarship, a fund that helps students who really need financial assistance. It's my way of continuing to include those youngsters who may be overlooked. c.YJ1"ary tX <;;rimes Professor Emerita, Counseling and Psychological Services, 1964 to 1991 P.LANNED