Sylvia L. Simon

I started up at Bronx Community College because I could go at night. I transferred to CCNY for a degree in education. CCNY was free, and if you were bright enough and made good marks, you could get in. CCNY was wonderful because it made a lot of difference for people who were not wealthy or who didn't have the money to pay for college. I really loved CCNY because I also had some distinguished professors. I had Professor Kenneth Clark, who headed the desegregation case in 1954. It was a wonderful experience. I made a lot of friends that I still have. Most of us were from the city. Now I think CCNY is much more universal. People come from all over the state. After graduation, I taught in the city and I spent 33 years there as an educator. I ended up as a principal. I also taught at Bronx Community College. It was a wonderful career. CCNY was a leg up and it means a lot to people who really want to seek higher education to get ahead. I'm really happy to see how much it's grown in terms of the different departments and the different areas that you can major in.