Ann E. Kimball

I am a 50s child, female, and the first in my family to graduate college. In my time at CCNY, two professors made an impression on me. One was my supervisor in education, Elizabeth Dreier, and the other was Leonard Jeffries who taught Black History. Professor Dreier once said to me, 'Teachers are not created, they are born.' In time I grew to believe her. After graduating CCNY was on the verge of bankruptcy, and there was no hiring of teachers taking place at all. So my life took another path and, as it turned out, I was always teaching in one way or another. I later learned that my forte was not running a classroom, but troubleshooting areas that people were weak in and running little sessions pinpointing the issues. I was in a corporate setting, and I was instrumental in helping newly hired applicants pass their probation and become valued employees. This was very rewarding for me. I am retired now but I still tutor. Professor Leonard Jeffries was my most exciting and controversial professor. He really stirred the pot, and I learned quite a lot about the Nile Valley and its people. His Black History class was a key part of my ever growing knowledge and understanding of people. My time at CCNY fostered self-confidence and taught me that it wasn't necessarily a case of being smart, but it was about acquiring knowledge of various kinds, thinking critically, connecting the dots, and then applying what I learned in a positive way. I am very thankful for the amazing education that I received at CCNY.