Betty Staley (Kletsky)

I chose CCNY because it was free, and there was no way I could have gone to college. The caliber of the faculty stood out for me. I made lifelong faculty connections for decades. I had three outstanding ones that really shaped my life. There was Hans Kohn in history, who was an extraordinary man. Then there was the late Dr. Stewart Easton, who referred me to Waldorf education, which became my career. We were friends for many decades. I was a psychology major, and I started with Dr. Lawrence Plotkin in the Psychology Department. He and I continued to meet any time I came to Manhattan, and I was deeply saddened when he died. These three professors were extremely influential in my life, as they offered me support and friendship. I also met my first husband there, Franklin Kane. He became the father of my children and we were married for over 20 years. It was sociology class freshman year. I had gone to high school with a girl who was very beautiful, looked like Marilyn Monroe. She ended up in that same sociology class. We were told that if we wanted extra credit, we could take on an internship. We were not friends, but she, Franklin Kane, and I signed up. She was rejected, while he and I were both accepted. He had a car, so he drove me every Saturday to Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls School for children with emotional disturbances. So we were not only classmates, but we were also intern-mates. Out of that our personal relationship developed. Both of us went for Waldorf Teacher Training, inspired by Dr. Easton. We became Waldorf teachers and became very important in the whole Waldorf movement. I'm one of the elders in this whole international school movement. Franklin Kane is deceased. I've written many books, lectured internationally, and continue to mentor and consult. The City College of New York impacted me in every possible way, and I feel so grateful to it.