June 1998
... Phi Theta Kappa brings long lost sisters together
Page 2.
For more than thirty years Brenda Workman and Judi Selkirk have been looking for each other and the missing chapters in their family's history. In March, Judi Selkirk's boyfriend, who studies genealogy, finally located Selkirk's family in California. When Brenda's mother received news of Selkirk's location in Indiana, she was ecstatic and called Selkirk immediately.
Following their tearful telephone reunion, the family kept in touch through the telephone and e-mail. Financial limitations made a face to face reunion an impossibility until Phi Theta Kappa entered the picture.
In their frequent conversations, the sisters soon discovered that they had a few things in common, including Phi Theta Kappa membership. Workman is presently an active member of the Beta Delta Omega chapter at Mt. San Jacinto College in San Jacinto, California. Selkirk is an alumna of the Alpha Upsilon Omega chapter at Ivy Tech State College in Richmond, Indiana.
In April, Workman attended the International Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. At the Convention, she shared with Judy Ryan, Nevada/California Regional Coordinator, her desire to meet her sister face to face. While in Nashville, Ryan took Workman to the Indiana Regional Meeting where she met Ivy Tech chapter advisor Diana Pappin and other Phi Theta Kappans who knew her sister Judi very well.
"During the Convention, Diana made me an offer I could not refuse. They offered to take me on their bus to meet Judi, so with a little help from Karen Cranney, my advisor, and Ed Farley, Nevada/California Regional President, I was able to borrow enough money to change my plane reservations," says Workman.
On the bus ride to Indiana, Brenda had the pleasure of getting to know Judi's region. "I was filled with anxious anxiety, and the group helped me to remain calm," says Workman. "Little did I know, they would take the tour bus to Judi's home directly because they wanted to witness the reunion first hand." As Brenda and Judi embraced for the first time, members of the Indiana region were angling for the best view from every window of the bus. Their goal was to share in the joy of these reunited sisters and capture the moment in truest Phi Theta Kappa form -- on film!
In the three days that followed this reunion, the sisters laughed and cried together. The days flew by as they had only just begun to know each other better. Although their reunion was brief, Judi will be flying to California in June with her two children for a larger reunion with the entire family.
"Everyone is very excited about this event and all of our lives are focused on this visit," says Workman. "I owe a big thanks to everyone who made this reunion possible."