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Alumni Profile
An extraordinary journey. My life has been a journey of discovery and unfolding experiences. I grew up on a farm in Mississippi, one of six girls. My parents were sharecroppers and my childhood days were spent in the cotton fields. I spent more days in the fields than in the classrooms. A rainy day was a blessed day. When it rained, I could go to school. I wanted an education desperately, but work on the farm provided food, shelter, and clothing for my family. I loved school, and when I
wasn't in school, I would read everything I could get my hands on. Reading provided me an opportunity to travel all over the world without leaving my room. I could escape from the fields, be creative, imaginative, and dream of a better world. At age seventeen, I was a high school dropout. At that time, getting an education appeared to be a dream. My dreams seemed remote during those early years. Somehow, however, I held on to my belief that my circumstances would change and that one day I would make a difference in the lives of others. All I needed to do was to trust my inner strength. I began my journey at age nineteen as a single parent with three children and my dreams. I believed that I was born to fulfill a purpose. Therefore, when I lost my job as a blanket factory worker, I packed up my kids and journeyed to Albany, New York. The first item on my agenda was to complete my education. At that time, in Mississippi, a woman who bore children out of wedlock was not permitted to return to school. After finding employment, I enrolled in correspondence classes. I needed to complete three years of high school, and I earned that diploma in only eighteen months. For the next two years I worked toward completing my freshman and sophomore years of business school. My journey took me from the University of Albany where I was a file clerk, to various employment positions, while I continued to pursue my education. In 1985, I received an associate degree from Maria College. In 1989, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Southern Vermont College. I
then went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from the University of Albany. Life is a journey. Thirteen years later, my journey brought me back to the University of Albany, where I became the first African-American woman to assume the office of Bursar within the sixty-four SUNY campuses. Two years ago, I made a difficult and challenging decision to leave the state of New York State to become the first African-American in 148 years to hold the position of Director of Student Accounts at William Paterson
University, located in Wayne, New Jersey. My transition from the cotton fields of Mississippi to managing a $145 million annual budget is due to my determination, persistence, dedication, endurance, and my firm belief that my dream of achieving an education could come true. I serve as a role model to my family because I am the only one of six to attend college and receive a graduate degree. If you believe it, you can achieve it. My faith in God, faith in myself and a determined mind to overcome life's obstacles have taught me to never, never give up. When asked how do I define success, my answer is that I was successful when I left Mississippi as a single parent with three children, with a desire of an education and with dreams of a better life for my children. Having attained the many honors, awards, recognitions, and accolades are the results of a desire to strive for excellence. I know that part of who I am today is from my confidence in my abilities and my passion for excellence and the quality in teaching that I received at Southern Vermont College. Faculty, such as Sheryl Tewksbury, Julie White, Anthony Nuvallie, Chris Michael, and the late Milton Kukon, have all left footprints on my life..
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