Dr. Shirley Jackson Heckman – 2000 Distinguished Alum

Upon the occasion of her retirement in 1988 D. Campbell Wyckoff, Princeton Theological Seminary, said of Shirley Heckman: “As a person, you have taught us to grow, beginning on that remote Montana ranch, becoming learned in the most profound sense, and taking national and international leadership while staying one with your roots.”

When Dr. Heckman returned to her hometown to accept the honor of Distinguished Alumna at Sheridan College she returned to her roots. In 1948 Sheridan College opened new doors of opportunity for Shirley. “The smaller classroom environment enabled me to understand myself as a person with possibilities – a person with self worth realized within the context of the learning environment.”

At Sheridan College Shirley met her husband to be Earl Heckman. A mother of four, Shirley has been a leader in her community, her church and her profession. She has traveled around the world in her career with the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

Shirley especially values the opportunities provided by Sheridan College. Of the College she said, “The creation of Sheridan College offered an arena for becoming a learning community; a lasting and sustaining organization with an atmosphere in which learning can take place. I looked at my education as an opportunity to help others make positive, constructive changes in their lives and communities”