The “girl from Queens,” as she calls herself, was happy in Florida—until September 11, 2001.

Unaware of events as they happened, Sharnine Herbert remembers the unreal quality of finally seeing it on television. “I was watching the plane hit and thinking ‘this can’t be real.’ It had to be a movie or some special effect I thought. But it was real. I tried to reach my family in New York—nothing. For hours, I tried. It was then I knew I had to be closer to my family. Close enough that in a matter of a few short hours I could be there.”

Even after talking to her family and knowing everyone was fine, Sharnine was moving north. Her job search resulted in seven interviews and two job offers.

“The second offer was in New Jersey and definitely closer to home, but I choose Shippensburg,” she said. During the interview process, she said the department here was warmer and she liked what she saw and felt of the campus community. “I felt I would be able to forge collegial bonds better here. It felt more comfortable.”

By the end of the academic year, Sharnine left her Florida lifestyle and tenure track position behind. First order of business was to get prepared for her teaching duties as an assistant professor of human communication studies. Once called the speech department, the more inclusive human communication studies covers not only rhetorical speech, the traditional area, but includes intercultural, interpersonal, inter-group, and organizational communication. The change in name and curriculum supports the National Communication Association’s point of view.

Sharnine teaches introductory courses plus several specialized ones concerning nonverbal communication, African American communication and inter-group and inter-cultural communication.

In the groove—Trevor Dixon, a student, pairs with Sharnine at last year’s Dancing with the Profs. The pair, one of the crowd favorites, finished third.

Partnership

It didn’t take long before Sharnine added a few more duties. First she added the R. Benjamin Wiley Partnership Program. The program is geared to reach high school sophomores and get them not only interested in college but excited too. There are five regions and three phases. Shippensburg is responsible for phase two in the Pittsburgh region which Sharnine coordinates.

For the next three years, the program works to give students the tools they need to reach college. Entry into the program is not based on academics. Because of this, Sharnine says, “We can direct help to their strengths and weaknesses.” One of the things she likes most about the program is its inclusiveness. “We help parents too. It’s a total family experience.”

The next big step is coming to campus. “We’re phase two, and this means we give the high school students a real taste of college life. For three weeks they attend classes. In addition to academic classes, they also have sessions on leadership and academic preparation. And we leave time for fun,” Sharnine said.

From classes at Shippensburg, the next step is phase three where they are accepted at one of the fourteen state universities. Once involved in their freshman year, the students continue their involvement with the Partnership program on a volunteer basis and are rewarded for their succesful grades with a small book stipend each semester.

Sharnine participates in commencement ceremonies so she can have a front row seat watching her students graduate. She often stays behind to offer personal congratualtions to them after the ceremony is over.

Settling In

Settled in, Sharnine quickly set about her business. And her business is all about people. “What I like best are the people at the university and my students, those who are here and those who have left.

As if administering the Partnership program wasn’t enough, Sharnine has assumed the role of director of the Ethnic Studies Minor Program. She is a strong advocate for the minor, seeing it as a “fine complement to many of the programs” offered by the university.

In the midst of all this, Sharnine found time to get married in 2004, served as the interim chair for her department, and is the mother of a two-year-old daughter.

“I think my time here as helped me become more committed to my students. I’m needed here, and I find I need my students. My mom always tells me, ‘If it wasn’t for all your students and programs you’d be back here in New York.’ She’s probably right.”

Her quick smile and ready sense of humor make her easy to talk to. And she is willing to try just about anything.

Last year, Shippensburg presented its own version of Dancing with the Stars. Professors paired with students for the competition. “Oh I missed my calling,” Sharnine said. She partnered with Tyrone Dixon, one of her students. Calling or not, the pair had a lot of fun and finished third.

Between her campus commitments—“I don’t believe there is a department or office on campus where I don’t know somebody,” she claims—there isn’t much time left over.

Outside of class, Sharnine is devoted to her daughter. This winter they are swimming together. And Sharnine is looking forward to taking dance class together.

The two-year-old is famous for her “once and done” maneuvers. “She’s constantly doing or saying something and when you want her to repeat it, she won’t. She’s quick to pick things up too. She was watching Sesame Street and the Alvin Ailey Dancers were on. I watched as she mimicked one of their moves perfectly. Would she repeat it for me? No way.”

A music lover, Sharnine especially enjoys listening to jazz or what she calls message-centered music like that of Jill Scott and Nina Simone. She is always adding CDs to her collection and keeps her car and office well stocked. The other half of her musical enjoyment lies in its sound. “I’m always looking to make the music sound better and am constantly upgrading my equipment,” she laughs.

For now Sharnine is content with her life, both professionally and personally. She enjoys the bonds she has forged with her students and her colleagues a great deal. But there is still a part of her that would like to be a little closer to home. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker she claims.