Former Brewster teacher wins Presidential citizens award

When Patience Lehrman arrived in the United States from a village in Cameroon, West Africa in June 1997, she never expected to be honored by the White House for her work on immigration issues. In fact, she never dreamed of one day receiving the second highest civilian honor, the Presidential Citizens Medal. But that's what happened in February 2013 when she was selected from a pool of 6,000 nominations and became one of 12 recipients of this prestigious honor.

Lehrman came to the United States with a bachelor's degree, proficiency in English and French, and an American husband she had met when he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. They moved to a small town in Washington State - Brewster - where they first lived with his parents - Wayne and Sandy Lehrman.

"I couldn't get a volunteer job, much less a paid position that was commensurate with my education. Many people knew nothing about me and assumed I had no skills. As I went around the town, I noticed I was the only black person living in this town. There was a lot of curiosity about me - about my background, where I came from, what I liked or disliked, etc. Rather than despair, I clung to the idea that if I worked hard I could make it in America", Lehrman said.

Frustrated but not disillusioned about the prospects of finding a job, Lehrman summoned the courage to meet with business owners and decision makers in Brewster. She requested to be placed on the agenda of the monthly Kiwanis club meeting and with help of her mother in-law, received an invitation to speak to club members.

Encouraged by the invitation, Lehrman ceased this unique opportunity to educate the club members about her skills, educational background and previous working experiences, her African culture and her strong desire to contribute to the community.

Impressed by her presentation, the School Principal - Edith Sattler - asked Lehrman if she would be interested in volunteering at the school as a Teacher's aide. Lehrman accepted the offer and began volunteering the very next day.

As Patience's experience as a Teacher's aide grew, so did the schools' love for her.

After reviewing her educational credentials, the school principal encouraged her to apply for a substitute teaching position with the school district. Patience applied and was approved to serve as a substitute teacher from K-12.

Patience began serving the school district as a substitute teacher and formed great relationships with students, teachers and parents of the community.

In addition to substitute teaching, she also worked at Quickie Mart downtown Brewster and at the Brewster Apple Avenue Motel.

She was slowly developing roots in this community and enjoyed doing so but she also had greater ambitions and bigger dreams.

In January of 1998, Lehrman and her husband, Stanley, moved to Philadelphia to pursue graduate studies at Temple University.

Fifteen years, three Masters degrees and two young children later, Lehrman is the national director of Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders).

A program at Temple University's Intergenerational Center headquartered in Philadelphia and partners with 16 institutions in 10 states.

SHINE implements innovative strategies to make America more competitive by promoting the integration of immigrants. SHINE mobilizes college students and retirees to work with immigrant and refugee elders -- teaching them English, and employment skills, preparing them to take the U.S. citizenship test, supporting their engagement in community issues, and improving their health literacy skills.

Patience Lehrman wants today's immigrants to know she's been there.

Leaving her native country of Cameroon for Washington State in 1997, Lehrman knows the strange looks, the comments about her accent, and the isolation.

She's been in unfamiliar surroundings, a new community that didn't know what to make of her.

Instead of giving in to the cynics and the critics, she plugged away, made new friends, opened closed minds and made a home where there wasn't.

The residents of Brewster that once struggled to received her cried when she left for the East Coast, a move that would ultimately land her in the White House and an audience with President Obama.

Now as the director of Project SHINE, Lehrman's mission is to make sure other immigrants don't feel the same isolation that she did and have the tools to leave out their full potential in America.

To Lehrman, the real award doesn't come from the Oval Office.

It comes from seeing the look in the eyes of immigrants that are happy they passed their citizens test, that can finally speak enough English to schedule a doctor's visit and follow up on medical care, can communicate during a job interview and earn a job and support their families. That's what gets me up every morning.

If my situation was challenging, imagine how much more difficult integration is for the 60-year-old from Vietnam who speaks no English and comes to the United States to take care of her grandchildren so her daughter and son-in-law can work full-time.

Imagine how isolated the 65-year-old janitor from Mexico feels after 30 years in this country supporting his family without being able to take the time for ESL classes, while his children have grown up "American" and graduated from college.

Interdependence among generations is what helps immigrants contribute 35 percent of GDP (as reported by the Brookings Institution) but this interdependence often helps the young advance while ignoring the needs of the old.

On the cusp of a comprehensive immigration reform, lawmakers must do the right thing.

Helping immigrants become productive participants in American society helps all of us - from the residents of small-town Brewster to the policymakers in Washington, DC.

If the United States is to win the future, we must give newcomers a chance to contribute their talents and skills and participate fully in writing the next chapter of the American story.

America does not have a single human being to waste.