Congratulations Class of 2009

Once again, The College of Westchester held a spectacular Commencement Ceremony.  Each and every graduate looked so happy as they walked across the stage.  It was a shining moment for them and for us.  It was especially gratifying to graduate our first group of BBA students as well.  This small but very proud group reminded me of a story our Chairman, Mr. Sutkowski, recently shared when in the early 70’s we graduated the first class under his time at the college at a restaurant in White Plains because “it was such a small group, the venue was fine”.   It was incredible also to see how many Allied Health students we graduated!  The process for approval of the medical assisting program was labor intensive and lengthy, but Commencement night was proof of the value.  We’ve come a long way since those days and there have been many important steps along the path.   

In reflecting on graduation and listening to the student speeches you cannot help but wonder what amazing impact our good work has on the lives of our graduates and the community at large.   

As it was such a special night, I thought I would share here my comments:   

Good evening and welcome.  It is my pleasure to congratulate you and celebrate together.   When CW students begin school with us I personally give them a goal card.  On the front of that card there are two words listed:  Believe and Achieve.  If you believe in yourself you will achieve, and through achievement comes success!   

CW is successful because we believe in you and you believe in yourselves.  Every year as we approach Commencement there is an unmistakable buzz of pure joy and excitement in all students, faculty and staff.  Rightfully so, as this is the moment that we’ve all worked toward and believe in.    Tonight there is an added buzz for the CW administration, faculty and staff; our excitement is rooted in the fact that tonight we have The College of Westchester’s first graduating class with bachelor degree candidates -- a momentous time in the college’s 90+ year history.  We believed that we could do more for the community and more for students by embarking upon and gaining approval to offer the bachelor’s degree.  Tonight is living proof of that belief in action.   

Most important, however, tonight is a momentous time in our graduates’ lives, YOUR lives.  So, whether you are here to receive a certificate, associate’s degree or your bachelor’s degree, you believed and achieved. 

You are all well on your way to a life filled with success and happiness.   

When I welcome a group of new students on their first day during orientation I talk about education as an intangible, something that cannot be taken away.  Tonight, the intangible becomes the tangible as you move to graduates and your achievements gain you the benefits that it brings -- The benefits of course being a secure future.  Despite these tough economic times our career placement rate for those seeking employment is still over 94% and it is worthy to note that, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, college graduates are much more likely to stay employed. 

Whether it is now or in the future I encourage you to continue your educational journey:  the value of a college education is limitless. 

We measure success in different ways.  Many measure success based upon earnings, security and quality of life.  Studies prove that college graduates have a better quality of life due to increased earnings and all it brings.  When my great grandfather first came to the US from Poland, he left a secure life and became a grave digger in a strange land where he did not know the language or customs.  He did it for the opportunity his children and grandchildren would derive, for the improved earnings, opportunity and quality of life they could gain.  Today, you too have accomplished something from which your children and grandchildren will benefit.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics those that have completed a college education earn significantly more than those who do not.  This confirms that economic success is derived from continued education. 

Many measure success as the ability to give back to those in their community they are now in a position to help.  Regardless of the path you choose from here, I hope you will engage yourself in your community.   As you continually learn and benefit from your surroundings, I encourage you to continue to give back.  This is what our honor societies are doing tonight through “Project Graduation.”  Each year the honor societies select a charity to support, and this year they are raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  

Graduates, remember……………… 

BELIEVE:  ACHIEVE: SUCCEED obviously, it is a two way street – we provided the opportunity and you made the most of it.  I believe we have formed a partnership now.  By successfully completing your program, you helped us achieve our mission and we helped provide you with opportunities for a rewarding career.  Good luck and Congratulations, Class of 2009!  

CW Understands and Reaches Out to Its Students

Woody Allen once said, "90% of success is simply showing up".  We at The College of Westchester take attendance very seriously, because we take our students’ success very seriously.  Consequently, we have implemented new and improved methods to address this issue with all new students.  Our guidelines exist so that our students can succeed and achieve the goals they dreamt of when they first applied to the college.  These guidelines tie in perfectly with what we pride ourselves on, and for what we’ve been commended on for repeatedly – giving students the personal touch they need to succeed.

Understanding the impact of the personal touch is exactly what author Miguel Rivera addresses in his article Reaching, Teaching and Succeeding With Generation Y.  In this article, Rivera discusses “Gen Y-ers” or “Millenials”, which he describes as “people born after 1980, and they consider themselves special - for a reason. They think differently than any generation before them, and they're changing the way things are done. If you're going to teach them, you first need to reach them, and that means understanding where they're coming from and where they are going. Most Millennials want meaningful, respectful personal relationships with teachers, mentors or employers, so be prepared to cultivate those.” 

This statement provides me confirmation that we are doing things right at The College of Westchester.  Repeatedly, I hear from students that the one thing they love about CW is the personal touch – we know our students by name, not number; and not only do we know who they are, but we know about them.  Our faculty and staff take the time to get to know what’s going on in our students’ lives, which undoubtedly makes a difference in the student’s ability to succeed. I commend our faculty and staff for staying true to our student-focused environment and continually providing our students what they need both personally and educationally.   

Students of the Future

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the College of Westchester’s annual Scholars Award Reception at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, NY.  Every year the college holds this event to recognize future CW students who have received the distinguished honor of a CW scholarship.  It is a fine achievement and one that does not come easily.  It is a distinction among the rest as there are many students who apply for the scholarship, but do not receive one.  The College of Westchester offers very career-focused programs; therefore, in order for students to receive the scholarship, they must demonstrate their motivation and focus.  They need to show us that they are the type of a student who can “hit the ground running.”  Some of the other criteria we use to determine eligibility include a high GPA, good attendance, and they must perform well on a test we administer.    High GPA and good attendance in high school is a predictor of success at CW and demonstrates that students have the maturity and motivation to succeed in a college like CW which is very career focused.

As I congratulated and welcomed these fine students, I could see the enthusiasm in their faces.  They were clearly excited about beginning a new chapter in their life and what will hopefully be just the beginning of a successful and rewarding college career.

As these students sat through the Award Reception, I believe they also received re-confirmation that CW is the right choice.  We have a deep and rich history of providing education in Westchester County and have tens of thousands of graduates. 

Throughout the years, The College of Westchester has continually played a vital role in higher education.   What has distinguished us from other schools in the region is our unique mission, which has remained steadfast throughout the years.  We pride ourselves on our ability to provide high quality, practical, career-focused, education leading to exceptional graduate success and security.  Even in this difficult economy our current graduate success rate is over 95%. 

We are able to place graduates in good jobs for two reasons; first, we hand select students with the raw ability to succeed, as demonstrated by their successes.  Second, our programs are designed to help them gain employment and  jump right in and do what is needed.  Our graduates can jump right in and succeed in their career because we have active advisory groups from the corporate community who help us keep our curriculum current. Our BBA degree is a fine example of this.  The BBA program was shaped with significant input from Westchester county businesses.  Our BBA program reflects the needs of the business community.  

Do you have what it takes to be the next CW scholarship recipient? Perhaps you do, but are scared about today’s economy.  You may be thinking attending college might be more difficult now, but that is not the case.  The congress is committed to educational funding and we are too.  Plus, the reality is that going to school now, when the economy is in a downturn, is the best time to do it.  Here are some reasons why:

–        During times of rising unemployment you are better off in school as the economy works itself into a stable position, and then once you graduate, the economy should be in an upswing, with more available jobs – the perfect time to enter the workforce.

–        When that upswing occurs, companies will be looking to hire graduates who are skilled with the latest technology and who have the ability to begin working on day one, not those who will need to be trained or re-educated.

–        And CW, a private college, unlike public schools, is not facing funding cuts.  We are committed to small class sizes, faculty with real world experience and that which makes our students succeed.

We may be considered a smaller college by national standards, but we nonetheless have thousands of successful graduates in the marketplace.  They have been served well by the college.   Just this week two of our graduates contacted me through Linked-In to say thanks for the fantastic education and great jobs they have as a result of their time at CW.  These two students were scholarship recipients.  They found the faculty to be engaging and interested in taking time outside the classroom as well as inside the classroom to help them learn and grow.  They had the opportunity to participate in the honors program, were selected for the honor roll and honor society and one had an internship at the college in our IT department.  The other had an internship outside the college.  By the time they graduated they were already building their resumes.

Students who choose to attend CW because our focus is first and foremost on their success.    I myself attended CW for this reason and am a proud graduate of the class of 1985.