BS '58
I came to the end of the tracks in high school as a low achiever. My parents decided that I had to look forward to the rest of my life. I took the entry test for CCNY to placate my parents. Fortunately I did well on the entrance exam despite the fact that no one, including my advisors, believed that I could. I was also given the opportunity to go to the best branch of the City College group in New York City at that time. It was a wonderful experience. Not having been very attentive to what was going on in the world taught me that there was a world out there that was in flux. I had grown up as a child of immigrants whose family was wiped out in the second world war in Western Europe. I felt that I had things I wanted to do and learn, and I was all worried about doing those things. The school gave me an opportunity to succeed. The guidance given to me was outstanding. The remediation that I got because of my lack of achievement in high school was outstanding. It gave me a chance to succeed. From then on, I learned about the world. CCNY put me on a track to where I wound up getting my PhD from a very prestigious university. I've had a very happy and fulfilling life. I went to work in the pharmaceutical industry. I had a PhD in chemistry, and then I went up beyond that and started to work in the marketing and sales areas for the pharmaceutical industry. I developed a number of products for both agricultural and industrial uses. CCNY pointed me in a great direction and I felt fulfilled. I wouldn't have realized my skills in the sciences if it was not for CCNY. If they didn't have the patience for developing an under-performer from high school, I would not be where I am now.