Richard and Helen Watkins, graduates of SHSU’s educational leadership doctoral program, will share aspects of their lives and careers, as well as some of the challenges they have faced, on Wednesday (Sept. 23) as part of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center’s Grassroots speaker series.
The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Concourse Room C70.A retired Texas prison warden, Richard served in Vietnam as an officer aviator.
“His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and was missing in action for a brief time,” said SAM Center director for academic support programs Bernice Strauss. “After three months of being hospitalized to rebuild his face and for him to learn to talk again, he was assigned to teach at the Army’s Primary Helicopter School in Fort Wolters, Texas, initially as an instructor and later as the chief of the faculty development division.”Helen, Richard’s wife of 45 years, is a retired school nurse.
They are also active members of the SAM Center’s Community Leaders and Student Partners (CLASP) mentoring program.
Following the discussion, a meet-and-greet with refreshments will be held in the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, located in CHSSB Suite 170.
The “Grassroots: A Series of Conversations on Leadership in a Diverse Community” was created approximately four years ago with the aim of promoting the career aspirations and academic achievements of SHSU’s minority students.
“It has been our goal to bring to our campus notable leaders from all over our state to act as meaningful role models, advisers and mentors to our students,” Strauss said.
The lecture is sponsored by the academic support programs of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center; the Elliott T. Bowers Honors Program; the International Hispanic Association; Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; the NAACP; the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program; Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc.; and Women United.
For more information, call the SAM Center at 936.294.4444.