UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 32, Page 5
May 20, 1993
Employee works to help others after helping himself

     You may have seen him handing out basketballs at the Carpenter Sports
Building. He wears a plaid, buttoned-down shirt and gray pants that rest on
the top of his running sneakers. Walkman earphones are always draped around
his neck.
     And no matter what he is wearing or what he's doing, his bearded face
is never without a smile, one that cannot help but be returned.
     Olice Penn, the equipment manager at Carpenter Sports Building, has
worked on campus for 11 years. A member of the University's Literacy
Program, the high school graduate has been attending two classes each week
since October.
     The program, which started in 1987, is specifically designed to teach
University employees how to function more efficiently in their jobs.
     Penn is working hard to improve his reading and writing skills, which
suffered because he was unable to attend elementary school on a daily
basis.
     Pat Howe, coordinator and instructor of the literacy program, said
Penn often encourages fellow students in the literacy class, adding that he
has come a long way since entering of the course.
     A former Eagle Scout and Army veteran, Penn praised the program and
the opportunities it has provided him. For example, his ability to read
aloud has improved a great deal, and that enables him to participate in the
worship services at his church, and he has recently been teaching Bible
study classes.
     "All of this is due to the confidence and the teaching I have received
in this class, and the confidence we have in each other," he said,
referring to his classmates.
     Penn also recognized the staff and faculty for their support,
explaining that it would have been impossible for him to accomplish what he
has without them, or without the encouragement of his friends and family.
     Enrolling in a class to improve one's reading and writing skills is
not something to be ashamed of, he said, though he knows it is difficult
for some people to take the first step and seek help.
     "It's not the person who is seeking a better education that should be
shamed; it is the person who is trying to put him or her down who should be
shamed for being so ignorant," Penn said. He stressed that people should do
what's best for themselves.
     What is best for Penn, the father of four and proud grandparent of
one, is to achieve his goals and, he said, to be able to touch some, or
just one, of the less fortunate children who are headed for trouble.
     "I want to turn them around and help them get an education, so they
can become self-sufficient and not fall through the cracks."
     He knows that he can best fulfill that dream through his improved
reading ability and by being a living role model for others.
     Jack O'Neill, director of recreation and intramurals, salutes Penn for
participating in the literacy program. "Olice took that difficult, initial
step and made the most of it." O'Neill said he admires Penn for correcting
the gap he recognized in his life, thereby achieving personal and
professional goals.
     "I am happy and pleased with my life at this point, knowing that the
self-help I have been able to display through this educational program will
make my future plans much more enjoyable," Penn said.
                                        -Jennifer Acocella