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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 21, 2005 George lives to help others � But don't come to her with your problems, please By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Vicki George is ready for whatever comes next. She's worked in food service at four national parks west of the Mississippi River, taken care of her wheelchair-bound mother and dealt with the life-long repercussions, including severe vision problems, resulting from an accident when she was four years old. Vicki George, a Southern Oregon University graduate, rides across campus during her last week of undergraduate study. Her bicycle is her transportation of choice from home to school because she is legally blind. Photo by Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings Last week, the 43-year-old New Jersey native finished a 10-year journey at two schools when she graduated from Southern Oregon University with a degree in human communications. Now she's looking for a job where she can help the homeless find jobs and get their lives together. "I'm so happy," said George "I got a minor in psychology too, but don't come to me with your problems, please." George is kidding, a bit. "Vicki has a wonderful sense of humor," said John Fitton, the associate director of student support services at SOU, who Vicki enjoys referring to as "Robert." "We've shared jokes in almost every meeting we've had." She says she may change her name to Egypt Alexandrea, knows how to play "Uno" in Polish and thinks murderers should be spared the death penalty and made slaves to the families of their victims instead. Smokers rank high on her list of irritations, but she's come up with a way to retaliate. "At any time while I'm walking across campus, people have seen me singing outloud like a crazy person," George said, laughing as she explained how the large headphones she wears when she's walking or biking inspire the "second-hand singing" people notice. "I hope my singing is bothering them as much as their smoking is bothering me." "She's quite the character," said SOU geology professor Eric Dittmer. "I see her and I've just got to smile. I think she's great." Her jokes and strong opinions give levity to the obstacles George has overcome to be self-sufficient and graduate from college. "When people stare at me, I used to get all crazy," George said, explaining that people's looks would hurt her feelings. "Now I say, 'You want to stare at me something? Stare at my armpit!' and they do. They all do." George was four years old and crossing the street back in New Jersey when a motorcycle hit her. She flew 55 feet in the air and the impact of the landing caused a severe head injury. By a twist of fate she did not suffer serious brain damage, but the accident did affect her vision. She has to hold her head back to see out of her left eye, the good one, and wears glasses all of the time. George bikes everywhere because her limited vision doesn't allow her to drive a car. In New Jersey when she attended Mercer County Junior College, George biked 10 miles each way to class because the public bus system was too expensive. When she and her mother moved to Medford in 1999, she attended classes at the SOU Medford campus because it was close to home. Once she started taking courses in Ashland, she would bike to the bus, take RVTD to Ashland and then bike around campus. "We would always worry about her hitting something on her bicycle," said Dittmer, who taught George Geology. "The only way she could see was to tilt her head back, she didn't have a helmet and wore headphones instead. She couldn't see and she couldn't hear." Her luck on the bike hasn't been too bad. She's been hit by motorists four times, though she admits one incident was her own fault. The only serious accident happened when a woman opened a car door into George and broke her right pointer finger. She had a tough time in class for six weeks and now that she lives in Ashland doesn't need to bike as much, but she still rides the mountain bike. "I can't imagine people who don't," said George, who is particularly proud of the custom seat she got for her bike. "I think most people have big asses. Those seats they give you, they're pretty small." She's not sure where she will ride her bike next. George has applied for government jobs around the country because she feels like she has several good programs for the homeless she could implement, given the resources and the control. "I feel better about myself when I'm able to help other people," George said. "I want to help the people who have a full load of kids and they're living in their cars. They're struggling." She just has to find the right place to do it, wherever that takes her. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams