Episode 8. Dr. Sandra O’Neal: After Death Communication. Sandra O’Neal was a star student who loved school until her sister fell gravely ill. With her mother tending to her sister full-time, Sandra decided to go to work, to help her family avoid eviction. From that point on, the distraction of proms and other adolescent events lost their meaning to Sandra, so she quit school before graduation. As an adult mom with a steady, relatively good-paying factory job, Sandra wanted more for herself and family. In her research of continuing educational opportunities, Sandra met Alice Geoffray, the Director of the Adult Education Center, and they formed a lifelong bond. After graduating from the Adult Education Center in 1970, Sandra went on to become a secretary in the federal government, a job that had been off-limits to her and other Black women prior to that time. Sandra continued her education, ultimately earning her PhD from Jackson State in social work. Dr. O’Neal’s dissertation on the health benefits of After Death Communication becomes a touchstone for Jeanne and Jeff Geoffray to discuss how their closeness to their mother’s former students helped them overcome their grief over Alice’s passing.
This is a presentation of The 431 Exchange. We are a non-profit scholarship fund dedicated to adult students seeking to transform their lives through continuing education. We invite you to learn more about us by going to our website www.431exchange.com where you can hear more inspiring stories by signing up for our newsletter. Thanks!