Web-Granny puts unique spin to Internet development at SECC
Web-Granny puts unique spin to Internet development at SECC
By Melissa Cochran
At Southeast Community College there are many of use struggling to raise a family and juggle classes. Often students have to work part-time or full-time jobs just to make ends meet while also trying to find time to be a parent and a student
One former student, Darlene Wilson, also known as the "Web-Spinning Granny," not only put herself through school, but has also discovered a very unique and creative career.
Wilson returned to college as a single parent in 1990 after being out of school for 22 years. Even though Wilson has lost 85% of her hearing and did not think she would be able to be a college professor as she had dreamed, she has learned to read lips and is utilizing her skills and studies to earn $20-$30 an hour creating web pages on the Internet for various businesses and institutions. She id currently serving as a consultant and designer for Southeast's home page and gateway.
Wilson earned her B.A. in History at Clinch Valley College in Wise, VA. She has served as the Senior Research Assistant for the University of Kentucky's Appalachian Center for the last four years.
Today she is a mother of three, remarried and has a four year old granddaughter. She has finished her Ph.D. in History at the University of Kentucky and has used her creativity to design the UK Appalachian Center's award-winning web site.
She has been published in many anthologies and wrote the forward to the University Press of Kentucky's edition of John Fox Junior's Heart of the Hills.Wilson has also presented many papers at academic conferences and her work deals greatly with our region of Appalachia.
In addition to her work with the SECC web pages, Wilson is currently designing a web page for the Kentucky Arts Presenters Network at http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/arts/guide. Wilson has also worked on web projects for Appalshop in Whitesburge.
If you would like to learn more about her you can visit her web site athttp://www.uky.edu/ Projects/appal/granny.