BA '71
What inspired me to attend the City College of New York was its tremendous reputation for being academically strong. I wanted to go there, and it was free. I met a lot of interesting people in my classes from all parts of the city; I met a wide range of people from different areas that I really enjoyed. During my initial year at CCNY, I pledged to Phi Beta Sigma, a national fraternity for African Americans. I joined the fraternity, which became the center of my social interactions for my entire college career, and even for a couple of years after I graduated. My fondest memories were meeting a lot of nice people, pledging a fraternity, and playing on the intramural basketball team called 'The Eights.' We were well-known at the school, and those three things were the highlights of my experience there. My degree in accounting gave me the opportunity to get work easily. I worked initially for the New York City Human Resources Administration, and I was able to move up in the organization because I had a degree in accounting. After 12 years, I became a deputy assistant commissioner for the Department of Social Services. I left the City of New York and went on to work for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Given my experience at the city, working for the Department of Social Services combined with my educational background in accounting, I was able to move up and became the director of financial services for the Port Authority. My education gave me the opportunity to springboard into senior management positions in my career.