Robert A. Burke

I was looking for a world-class education within the limits of New York City, but one that was going to be affordable, since I came from a working-class environment. The obvious choice for me was CCNY. CCNY had a sterling reputation for its academics and very strong faculties in various subject areas. I had figured that I wanted to specialize in history, but reviewing the course offerings available at CCNY also made me realize that I could try my hand at different things and see what was the best fit for me. In short by choosing to enroll at CCNY, I would be expanding the possibilities. I went there with the expectation that the academics were going to be challenging and that attending the City College of New York would also be a great opportunity for personal growth. What I hadn't realized at the time was that just having the opportunity to interact with such a diverse student population was going to be a key element in that personal growth. My years at CCNY are something that I look back upon with a great deal of affection and it was a great place to learn. It was a tremendous intellectual experience. It was challenging, and it was rewarding as well. At the same time the student body was so varied that I'd go down to campus every day and look forward to my classes and hanging out with my fellow students. In those years on a day by day basis, you never knew what was going to happen but, on the other hand, you knew that there would always be something new and exciting. From my perspective now looking back, my years at CCNY were definitely among my golden years and certainly rank among my favorite times in my life.