THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070101
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
LENGTH: Long : 149 lines
WHILE MOTORISTS WHIZ by him on their way to work, Marcus Daniels, 11, sits patiently with his fishing pole in hand. Marcus has been waiting all summer for the catch of a lifetime.
``When you come out here you just want to catch something really big,'' Marcus said. ``You want to catch something bigger than you ever have before.''
Marcus is a regular at this Great Bridge fishing spot. Like the adults that join him after work, he waits, sometimes for hours, for a fish to take the bait.
The Great Bridge Middle School North student already has several years of fishing experience.
Marcus finds fishing fun and relaxing, and educational to a degree. His parents usually accompany him on his trips. His dad, who just got a new pole for his birthday, likes to drop in a line, too. His mom usually just watches.
``You see lots of stuff out here,'' Marcus said. ``Birds, turtles, even snakes. But the snakes tend to stay under the bridge because they're scared of people.''
According to Marcus, the best time to fish is when the water is low.
``When the water's low, the fish don't have anywhere to go,'' he said. ``So you can just reel them in.''
``I HOPE I never have to do this again,'' said Scott Dustin, 19, summing up his feelings about his summer experience.
Dustin spends about 18 hours a week in a chemistry class at Tidewater Community College. During the regular school year, he attends Virginia Tech. But he decided to get chemistry, a required course for his degree, out of the way over the summer.
``I think I would rather be working, and I know I would much rather be surfing,'' said Dustin. ``Between class and studying there's not a lot of extra hours, but I'm still finding time to have a good time.
DANIEL DODGE, 18, plans on spending the summer of '95 within the walls of Chesapeake General Hospital.
Dodge isn't sick; he's just eager to get a jump on his career. That's why he's a student volunteer in the cardiac department of the hospital.
``There's no better training,'' said Dodge. ``I'm not reading about it or watching it on video. I'm experiencing it.''
Dodge said he's already had the opportunity to witness some serious procedures, including a heart sonogram, which allows doctors to examine the vital organ.
``It's just like a sonogram with a baby. You get to see inside the heart to see what's wrong with it,'' he said.
Although Dodge has only worked a few weeks, he's already learned a lot about medicine and his chosen profession.
``I always thought I wanted to be a doctor. But now I realize that nurses are the ones who really have the one-on-one contact with the patients, and that's what I want. Now I'm positive. I definitely want to be a nurse.''
SUMMERTIME FOR Kim Walker and Danielle Winfield means hanging out at the driving range, playing miniature golf, shooting hoops, walking the Moonwalk and playing with ponies.
The two girls, who graduated from Great Bridge High School in June, are working at Windhaven Family Golf & Games, a 16.5-acre recreational park.
Walker, 18, said she spends most of her time on the job hosting weekend birthday parties for kids of all ages. Loving kids has been a big plus, she said. She plans to be a pediatrician someday. She'll begin studying at Old Dominion University in the fall.
``I was going to go to the mall and find something, but I really wanted to work with children,'' she said. ``Sometimes we can have parties with up to 100, and yet each party just makes me love kids more.''
Danielle, 17, who will leave for Mary Baldwin College in the fall, said that getting a job with Windhaven wasn't in her plans originally, either.
``I'm usually in Maine,'' she said. ``I have family up there. But I decided that I would stay here for the summer.''
The two also will have to spend the next couple of months saying goodbye to friends who are heading off in different directions after high school.
WITH TWO TOURS behind her, Mary Ruth Goochee, 15, qualifies as seasoned missionary to foreign countries. Fellow Greenbrier Christian Church member, Joel Hulen, 18, is also experienced, after a mission trip to Jamaica two years ago.
In August, the two will be part of a nine-member missionary team headed to West Ghana in Africa.
This is the second trip to Ghana for Mary Ruth, who took part last year in a mission trip there. She's also been to Jamaica.
Traveling ``made me look at how I live compared to how they live. In Jamaica and Ghana, the best conditions compare to the very poor in America,'' she said.
``It's hard to describe. Even what we consider a small amount is so great to them. It has made me humble. Even though they don't have as much as we do, their hearts are more open. They have a better focus on what is really important.''
The group will leave Chesapeake Aug. 8.
In Ghana, they'll witness to people who do not belong to a church in the twin fishing villages of Pakoradi and Sekondi, located between Cape Coast and Ivory Coast. Plans also include starting churches in the area.
Joel, who may be interested in becoming a full-time missionary someday, said he is excited for the personal contact with the people of Ghana.
``I'll have my own interpreter and share about Jesus,'' he said. ``We'll be doing puppet shows.''
The group began making preparations for the trip in April.
In addition to getting shots to protect them against yellow fever, mumps, measles and rubella and taking the polio vaccine, the group has met bi-weekly for Bible study, prayer and updates.
Trip coordinator Debbie Jaggers praised Mary Ruth and Joel for agreeing to take the challenge.
``When we offered up the trip to the church, these kids prayerfully turned in an application,'' she said.
Both have a talent for mission work, she said.
``The pastors in both Ghana and Jamaica said that Mary Ruth has a real apostolic gift,'' Jaggers said. ``She was encouraged to preach the sermon in both places. She is very gifted.''
``Joel is grounded in his faith. He has a desire to please the Lord. This is a testing ground to see if the Lord is calling him into Christian ministry.''
JACK KITTS, 18, is spending the summer driving around Great Bridge and the Greenbrier area. He's the delivery service for Mr. Jim's Jumbo Submarine Sandwiches & Pizza shop on Dominion Boulevard.
Kitts is working and saving his tips for his sophomore expenses at Tidewater Community College.
The money's good most of the time, Kitts said, and only occasionally does a customer neglect to tip him.
``The best part of the job is that I move around and get to be outside,'' he said. ``But when it's slow, I have to chop onions. That's the bad part.'' MEMO: Staff writers Janelle La Bouve, Jennifer C. O'Donnell, Susan W. Smith
and William D. Sroufe contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: ON THE COVER
[Color Photo]
Krystal Smith is given a pony ride by Kim Walker, who is working at
the Windhaven Family Fun Center in Great Bridge. A staff photo by
Charlie Meads.
Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Marcus Daniels, 11, fishes under the shade of a bridge along Mount
Pleasant Road. He is looking to catch the fish of a lifetime.
Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Daniel Dodge, 18, is working at Chesapeake General Hospital.
Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Jack Kitts, 18, makes delivery runs for a sub shop.
by CNB