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King George woman enjoys spending time with students and sharing her love of books Date published: 12/30/2009
By CATHY DYSON Dreda Newman has been captivated by books since she was old enough to read. If anyone wrote one about her, it might be titled: "There's Something Endearing About Dreda." Newman is a media aide at Sealston Elementary School, where she puts materials on shelves, sets up TVs and DVDs for teachers and wipes off books to stop the spread of flu. What she likes most about the job--which pays about $12,000 a year in King George County--is spending time with students. Her interactions are nothing short of magical, said Heidi Asbury, a kindergarten teacher. "While kindergartners pretty much gravitate toward any generous-looking adult, there is always something endearing about Dreda," Asbury wrote in an e-mail. "She'd not only embrace any child that would run up to hug her, but would also take a minute to ask how each was doing. If a kid [said], 'Hey, I got a boo-boo,' she'd respond with, 'Tell me how!'" AN AVID READER Newman has been a lover of libraries since she was a child in Dahlgren. She spent so much time in the library on the Navy base, officials gave her a part-time job. She had four older brothers and read every comic book and magazine they brought home, even Playboy. "They had nice articles," she said, smirking. Some of her neighbors taught at the all-black Ralph Bunche High School during segregation. "They told me, if you can never get out of Dahlgren or King George, you can travel through books." Newman, 55, left her hometown and moved from one side of the country to another. In California, she said she had a job as a computer consultant, making $200,000 a year. She came back to the East Coast after her daughter, Nicole, was born 13 years ago. She needed a man to help her conceive, but that was all she wanted from a partner. Six years ago, Newman moved back to the house she grew up in, to live with her mother, Helen, who turns 90 next month. Newman wanted Nicole to know her roots. "When you moved as much as I did, you know how important family is," she said. ALWAYS HAS TIME TO HELP
Read more stories about King George Date published: 12/30/2009
"I tell her to pray daily to be a better person today than you were yesterday," Newman said, "and to give more back today than you were able to yesterday."
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