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Spring 2005

Restaurant Owner of 30 Years Goes Back To School

Anne Sbarounis came back to school in the summer of 2004 for, as she said, “Structure.” Anne and her husband retired five years ago after owning and managing two restaurants for 30 years in Illinois. They were able to spend a year together, playing golf and visiting friends and family before her husband passed away. Four years later, Anne decided to come back to school after a friend who was already a student at KSU invited her to come to the Lifelong Learning Center to check out the Adult Learner programs and the campus.

Anne was introduced to people around the LLC. That is when she met Valerie Jersey, who Anne owes a lot to because Valerie guided her through the 
application and enrollment processes. Anne also joined Peer Mentoring Program where she was paired up with Gwen Eagleson, her mentor, who guided her through tough times. So when Valerie asked if Anne would be interested in helping with the first Adult Learner Supplemental Orientation she was happy to oblige.

Anne laughed as she said the only obstacle she really had to overcome after coming back to school was “computers”, but she loves the way “the kids” in her classes look to her for academic and personal advice. “Coming back to school broadens your life, it gets you outside of yourself and your comfort zone”, she says. Because of this experience, she knows she has her own life now, outside of being a couple with her husband. When asked what her goals are, she said, “To be responsible for my own well-being and have a good quality of life. I think life is a gift. I’ve already been blessed with what I need and want and God has been very good to me.”

Anne also belongs to a number of community activities. She is a part of the Lady’s Golf Club and the Bridge Mill Sixes Services League. The Services League, she explained, started out as a Lady’s Club but now gears towards community service for children. They contribute time and donations to the Emergency Shelter for abused children in Cherokee County and to Tipton Elementary in Canton, which schools children of poor, working families. She also volunteers her time with Must Ministries every other week making lunches for underprivileged children. To why does she volunteer so much of her time to help others, Ann answers, “God has been good to me and I have free time to give to others.”

Tried, True and New - An Interview with Roy Bucker by Jacqueline Hand

Jacqueline - What was the most important event or defining moment of your life?

Roy - The most defining moment in my life was the birth of my son. From then on, I knew that there was a God.

Jacqueline - How would you complete the following sentence: "The thing most people would find interesting about me is…?"

Roy - The thing most people would find interesting about me is my personality.

Jacqueline - What are or have been your goals in life?

Roy - To be a good, decent and honest person. To excel in Information Systems.

Jacqueline - What obstacles have you faced and or overcome in life?

Roy – Discrimination in my early life and not being able to get a quality education. I was fortunate to enter the United States Air Force when I was drafted. I took classes from the University of Maryland on base to improve 
myself.

Jacqueline - What are your greatest accomplishments in life?

Roy – One of my greatest accomplishments was to guide my son to excel in high school and college. I bet him fifty dollars that he would not be the student body high school president. He surprised me and I had to pay him the money. He was the only student to give a speech at his graduation. I was proud to see him graduate from the University of Dubuque in four years. He is now a manager with Bell South. My second accomplishment will be to graduate from Kennesaw State University while I can still walk across the stage to receive my degree.

Jacqueline - What do you do? For whom: Where? How long?

Roy – I am a retired postal employee. I retired August 1999.

Jacqueline - What do you do for recreation or fun?

Roy – I love to ballroom dance or dancing in general. I want to take another cruise and dance at the Captains’ ball.

Jacqueline - Is there anything about you that I might have missed?

Roy – Yes! You forgot to ask me about my health. Since you didn’t, well I will tell you. I am in excellent health to be seventy years of age. 

Jacqueline - Is there anything you would like to add?

Roy – Yes. (With a smile) I want to compete with my son and get my degree. Maybe my Masters in Information Systems.

Cambodian Native’s Dream Coming True

Thyra Zeits has quite a story to tell. As a native of Cambodia, she has an interesting history. She credits her life there as her primary reasons for coming back to school. As a little girl, Thyra had a deep desire to have an education. Because she grew up in a family with college degrees and the prestigious jobs of lawyers and politicians the importance of education was stressed.

She lived a life of exile from the communists for four years, and then came to the United States in 1982. Thyra was even more determined to gain a higher education and graduate with honors.

Thyra wants to be a role model for her children, ages 24, 22 and 11. She wants them to see that she is a survivor and with hard work anyone can make it. She tells her children that “life is precious and should not be taken for granted.” Her primary goal is to take one day at a time. This, she says, is how she accomplishes her dream, taking short steps for a difficult journey. Thyra’s greatest challenge has been learning the English language. She learned to speak English at a community college in California. Upon her arrival at KSU, she enrolled in ESL 099.

Thyra’s inspirations are her husband, who has provided her with emotional and 
financial support for her education, and the Lifelong Learning Center. Valerie Jersey, Janese Thompson and the rest of the staff gave her hope and have been an on-campus family to her. Other people that supported her were Pat Richards, her mentor through the Odyssey Peer Mentor Program and David Schmidt, her advisor. She also credits Sara Shope, an instructor in her Continuing Education writing class, who encouraged her to take a “Teaching ESOL” class, which now Thyra herself teaches at Continuing Education.

Most of Thyra’s time and encouragement is invested in her eleven year old son’s Taekwondo activity. Richie has entered several championships tournaments, winning awards and medals. In the Junior Olympic games in October 2004, he won 3 gold medals. He was also the only child in the United States that won the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Award for winning the most competitions for the year.

Through all of her hardships and trials, Thyra has definitely proven that a goal comes with persistence.