Jennifer Hess-smith:
CLASS OF 1985
Honaker High SchoolClass of 1985
Honaker, VA
Christopher Newport UniversityClass of 1989
Newport news, VA
Jennifer's Story
Greetings,
Well life has taken me down many roads--sometimes they have had a dead end. My career path has taken me down many side streets always turning back to my love for people.
After high school, I attended Emory and Henry College for one semester. After one semester, I moved to Newport News, VA where I attended William & Mary and graduated from Christopher Newport College (at that time a part of William & Mary.
I received a B. S. in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and English. (I had a hard time narrowing my interests!)
After college I got a job with NASA for one year before I began graduate school at the Univesity of North Carolina. I finished my master's in Psychology with a specialization in Neuroscience. I continued working on my Ph.D., but have remained A.B.D.--all but dissertation for several years now.
I have done everything from prenatal brain development research to directing HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs in Africa (where I lived for a few years). I have done a great deal of work with children with organic brain dysfunction and their families.
My faith has remained a core part of my life. In 2006, I married the man of my dreams. He is a professor, pastor, and chaplain. I have 3 step-children. ...Expand for more
My life may sound like a fairy tale, but has been anything but...my older brother was killed in a mining accident when I was a junior in college. I have had many health related issues. I have an autoimmune disorder very similar to rheumatoid arthritis. While working on my dissertation, I became highly allergic to the chemicals I was using. I was forced to leave the project I had been working on for 7 years. After 13 hospitalizations (respiratory distress)I left the Ph.D. program. While working in Africa, I managed to pick up a rare protozoa that invaded my body and ate away at my G.I. tract until I was forced to leave the country and return to the U.S. Almost two years ago, I was involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer. I had multiple injuries, and am now in a wheel chair. I have not yet returned to work. I still need several surgeries.
As I said, my faith is still strong. I look to God each day to be my helper. I have not given up, I long to go back to work. I love people. I love the children I work with, and I long to return to a position of service. I would love to hear from some old classmates as I now have limited ability to get out and do things. I want to walk, hike, bike, and enjoy nature as God created it.
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