|
 “Respect
the person you’re going to be—give
that person a chance,” advised
Catharina Haynes ’83.
That was Haynes’ response
when she was asked for the best advice
she
could give students who are attending
Florida Tech today. She explained: “When
you are making decisions about life
at a young age, it will affect you
down
the road. Step back and envision yourself
in the future, then ask, ‘What
will I think of myself?’ I call
that respecting your future self. Even
now I apply it.”
Haynes always
seemed to know where she wanted to
go and didn’t waste time
getting there. She graduated from
Satellite High School at age 16,
and graduated
from Florida Tech three years later.
She then attended Emory Law School
in Atlanta where she earned a Juris
Doctorate.
She is now the 191st Civil District
Court judge in Texas.
Her forward-thinking
outlook began at an early age. “I
decided I wanted to go into law
when I was 10 years old
because I was interested in the
cause of justice—justice
for all—and
how I could be a part of that,” she
said. “When I was in the
fifth grade, an attorney named Fran
Jamieson spoke at our school. I
wrote her a letter and asked, ‘What
should I do to become a lawyer?’ Six
years later in high school Dad
arranged for
me to eat lunch with a friend of
his, Judge Thomas Waddell,
who brought a fellow judge with
him. It was Fran Jamieson, who
had become a judge
in the meantime. She
has passed away, but I wish I could
have told her that I
became a judge later. I always
respected her.”
Haynes also
gets inspiration and support
from another person in
the law profession,
her husband Craig Haynes, whom
she married in 1988. “He
is a successful attorney in his
own right,” she said.
After
12 years of practicing law,
Haynes began her career as a State
District Judge in 1999 and
won re-election in
2002. She is running for re-election
in November. “Being a
judge is a tremendous way to
serve
the public
in an interesting and challenging
way,” she
said. Each case is as unique
as the individuals involved
in it. “You must remember
you are a part of someone’s
life for that period of time.
This is that
person’s day in court.
It’s
my responsibility to see they
have a fair and just resolution
under the law.”
Faculty
in Florida Tech’s School
of Psychology also helped
shape her career. Haynes,
a psychology
major, remembers
Dr. Frank Webbe. “He
was a great mentor—he
was very helpful.”
Haynes
explained why she chose
this major. “I
majored in psychology knowing
I was interested in going
to law school.” Psychology
gave her insight into how
people think and react. “Psychology
helped me understand myself—psychology
helps you in nearly every
field. It gives you
the knowledge and understanding
of people and acceptance
of people.”
The classroom
was just one part of
her education
at
Florida Tech.
She
said it
was just as important
to be involved in other aspects
of
campus life.
Haynes was involved in
cheerleading, the Gamma
Phi Beta sorority and
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. “Some
of this is more important
than you think at the
time,” she
said. “You meet
a lot of different people—it
shapes you as a person,” she
explained.
Extracurricular
activities are still
a part of her
life as a
district judge. She
volunteers for several
organizations,
such as Vickery Meadow
Learning Center
in Dallas, where she
teaches Pre-GED to
adults for whom
English is a
second language. “It’s
a privilege to interact
with these fine students,” she
said.
Teaching comes
easy for her. You
might say it’s in her
blood. Both parents
and three grandparents
are teachers. Her
father, Dr. Pieter Dubbelday,
was
a faculty member
at Florida Tech for 20
years.
Haynes also
works with the Dallas Association
of Young
Lawyers,
and recently received
an excellence award
from this group
for her efforts.
In February
she
received an Outstanding
Achievement Award
from
the Florida Tech
Alumni Association.
Why does she volunteer her time? “It’s
rewarding. I get
back so much more than I give,” Haynes
said. “To
whom much is given,
much is expected.”
Melinda Millsap |
