Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508170058
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ELLEN DAVIES SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Amenities such as running water or electricity, along with a basic understanding of the importance of education, were lacking in her family's house, she says.
Her mother completed fourth grade, and her father completed the eighth grade. Neither, says House, deemed education an important facet of their children's upbringing,
But, House says her life changed when she was 9. A young couple moved into the Kentucky hollow, taking House, her brother and sisters under their wings and developing a relationship very similar to those established through the Big Brother/Big Sister program.
The man was a high school teacher and his wife was a registered nurse.
"They spent a lot of time working with me... they took me places; they exposed me to all kinds of education... and they taught me how to speak appropriate English," says House.
It was through this experience, House says, that she realized the necessity of education in obtaining her dreams.
An National Achievement Scholarship recipient, House was the first in her family to attend college. "Education has been very important in my life," says House. "Education allowed me the opportunity to be involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters."
House's involvement with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, however, initially developed with her husband, who was on the board of directors of the Dodge City, Kan., program.
Two months after she became a case manager with the organization, House was appointed executive director when her boss left unexpectedly.
House says assuming that responsibility at such a young age seemed natural. "I have always been in charge of doing things, even at a very early age. My mother couldn't read or write, so it was left up to me and my brothers and sisters to pay the bills and other responsibilities we had to take care of."
Her own experiences guide House in her commitment to the program and in raising her own children. "I know and understand how important it is to be involved in your children's lives, and I understand how important it is for your children to have role models."
For many children, Big Brothers/Big Sisters provides the opportunity to expand their horizons, House says.
"I believe that other people can have enough influence on you and adults can help children recognize potential and they can give them opportunities."
Because her own potential was realized through similar means, House says she empathizes with the different facets of the relationships developed through the program, even though she has never been a Big Sister.
House says she hopes to attract more volunteers to the Roanoke Big Brother/Big Sisters organization, so more children can become involved in the program.
In the two months she has been in Roanoke, House says she discovered a community commitment to education and is optimistic about the agency's potential.
\ Age - 30
Position - Executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Roanoke Valley
Background - Graduate of Saint Mary's of the Plains in Dodge City, Kan., with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. Prior to her appointment in Roanoke two months ago, House was executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Garden City, Kan.
Family - Husband, Gary, who is a clinical psychologist; two children, Chauncey, 6, and Chase, 4. One of five children, House grew up in the hills of Kentucky, where her father was a strip miner.
Memo: NOTE: Also ran in August 29, 1995 Current.