Andrew Tatarsky, PhD

The City College of New York was free at the time and it had open admissions. That made it possible for me to go there, and it set the stage for me to be successful in my career as a psychologist. It had one of the best psychology departments, and CCNY enabled me to connect with very important and special teachers and mentors. It made it possible for me to go on to graduate school and get my PhD, and the rest is history. I had no idea what I wanted to go into when I went there, but I was naturally drawn to psychology. I discovered that I had the aptitude and the passion for it, so the education I had really helped me clarify that. Dr. Ellman was a psychoanalyst, and he wrote a recommendation letter that helped me get into graduate school. He was an important figure in my life. Dr. Lynch was another professor who made learning research methods exciting and enjoyable. I also joined the fencing team; we were in the same league as some of the Ivy League schools. The diversity at CCNY was a very important and special aspect, and that informed my appreciation and love for the human race.