Stephen "Steve" Helfand

At the time it was the very best college in the city for engineering. CCNY was in the top ten in the country. I was interested in becoming a chemical engineer. That lasted until I took a required course in psychology. The late 60s were a time of upheaval in the country. It was a time of shifting awareness of the need to stop an illegal war, (re)establish civil rights, and begin to struggle towards gender equality. It was also a time of upheaval at CCNY. When I entered tuition was free, and there were 104 credits of required courses. When I graduated there were 60 credits of required courses. So I took what I wanted to study, and put off taking what I didn't want to, most of which were dropped as requirements. I have several lifelong friendships that came out of my time there. The most important thing CCNY did for me was that it taught me to love learning; to follow my curiosity. While I graduated in 1969, I continue to learn all the time; I read. I read everything, technical books on science, math, history, and mysteries. After CCNY I served a year in VISTA, on a mental health project in Chicago. Then returned to New York and worked with ex-addicts on a methadone program, where I served as Commanding Officer during the Vietnam War. I received a MSW from Hunter in 1976. Had two marriages with a daughter from each. Now I am a semi-retired computer programmer. I write software for unions' Taft-Hartley funds. CCNY affected that by training me in logical thinking.