Alan M. Paisner

I chose to attend CCNY for several reasons. It had an excellent academic reputation and was within my family's price range; it was free. I remember my first orientation assembly: we were told to look to our left and right because one of the three of us would not be there at graduation. I had no idea that I would be the one not to graduate with my class. In my first term, I was forced to drop out since I needed back surgery and was incapacitated for six weeks. Upon my return, I was assigned a partner in my chemistry lab. In our first experiment, we broke four test tubes before someone told us we needed a two-hole stopper for the experiment. I took this as a sign that I should not major in science. My lab partner, Jordan Hirshon, who became my best friend, did not take the hint. He got a PhD in science and had a successful career as a college professor. Jordy and his girlfriend introduced me to Sharon Forman. We wound up getting married in 1962, and 58 years later, we have two children and four grandchildren. Another vivid CCNY memory was the chaos of registering for classes as a freshman. Freshmen did not have a chance to select classes until all seniors, juniors, and sophomores chose theirs. I recall watching the classes I wanted fill up, and I was left with a schedule with large gaps. I had hours in between classes and wandered around campus, which turned out to be a pleasant experience. When I graduated, I had difficulty getting employers to consider me since there was a draft and I was classified as 1A, the most likely to be drafted. Professor Firestone, my statistics professor, suggested I check out the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. I worked there for 41 years, winding up as the regional commissioner for the Philadelphia Regional Office. You never know for sure how your life will change if you take a different path. I am sure that attending CCNY made my life much richer personally and professionally, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.