THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611010189
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: 20 QUESTIONS
LENGTH: 82 lines
Twenty-five years ago, Paul D. Camp Community College opened its doors and opened the future to Rebecca Worrell.
Worrell, then a 21-year-old newlywed, was the first person to register for classes at Camp.
``It came at the right time of my life,'' she said. ``I really wanted to go to college, but I was living in Newsoms, and there was no college near here.''
After finishing two years at the new community college in 1972, Worrell transferred to Old Dominion University. Daily, she drove 120 miles round trip to finish her bachelor of science degree, then continued at ODU to earn a master's and a certificate of advanced studies in educational administration.
Worrell had wanted to be a teacher since the earliest time she can remember. The youngest child in a large farm family, Worrell would corral farm hands on their lunch breaks and try to teach them their ABCs.
While Worrell credits her husband, Newsoms' longtime mayor Sheldon ``Butch'' Worrell, with encouraging her to go back to school, she also gives a large share of credit to Paul D. Camp Community College.
``The professors were very supportive mentors who were willing to listen and to give us options,'' she said. ``They catered to our strengths and allowed us freedom in choosing our projects.''
After years of teaching in Isle of Wight and Cumberland County, N.C., Worrell is currently a reading specialist at Carrsville Elementary School. She also is an aspiring children's author.
Her first book is a semi-autobiographical fantasy about the lifelong friendship between a lonely little farm girl and a loblolly pine with a magical personality. The story has already charmed several of Worell's classes, and she hopes that a publisher will find the book equally intriguing.
What brought you here? I married Sheldon C. Worrell, a native of the town of Newsoms.
Birthdate/Hometown? June 1. Grizzard, a rural farming community in Sussex County.
Fondest childhood memory? Going to town (Emporia) to visit my grandmother and going shopping at the Five and Dime.
Marital Status/Children? Married to Sheldon, an attorney in Southampton County, for 28 years. One son, Donnie, 17, a high school senior who is taking two classes at Paul D. Camp.
Pets? Pups, a mutt that took up at my husband's office. When the office burned about five years ago, I brought Pups home. Splotch is a calico cat that Donnie found on a neighbor's woodpile when she was a small kitten.
First job? My aunt gave me a job waiting on tables in her restaurant when I was 13 years old.
Occupation? I am currently the lead teacher and reading specialist at Carrsville Elementary School.
If you had a choice, what other job would you choose? I would be a full-time author of children's books. I am working on one now.
What is your favorite hangout? Wherever my son, Donnie, is playing baseball, basketball or tennis.
Favorite movies/TV show? ``Steel Magnolias,'' ``Forrest Gump'' and ``Gone With the Wind.''
Books you wish everyone would read? The Holy Bible, and ``The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'' by Stephen Covey.
Ideal vacation? A trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where I have a travel trailer.
I can't resist . . . smiling.
Few people know that I . . . am the youngest of seven children and grew up without indoor plumbing and running water in a house almost a mile from a hard-surfaced road.
If you won the lottery what would you do/buy? I would pay our bills, invest in my son's college education, go on a shopping spree, donate some to my church, and save some for a rainy day!
If you could trade places with anyone in the world, who would you be and why? I wouldn't think of trading places with anyone else. I love being myself!
What is the best advice you've been given and by whom? Many years ago, my husband convinced me that I could go to college and accomplish whatever I wanted in life.
What achievements are you most proud of? After being married for 12 years, I finally had a child. My son, Don, is my greatest achievement.
What is the best thing about yourself? I have a positive attitude, and I don't give up easily. I thrive on change. Innovations motivate me.
Something you wish to say but haven't? Look in the mirror, and remember that our children are reflections of what we see! ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY III by CNB