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Every weekday at 11 a.m.
on channel THIRTEEN
Caribbean Life, May 29-June 4, 2020 19
Some waves are ordinary,
moving through the
ocean silently. Other waves
are special, rolling through
the ocean with such great
force that they can’t help
but make a splash. Marilyn
Chernin was one of those
special waves and when she
first set foot on Kingsborough’s
campus in the fall of
1967 she made a splash.
The first dean of Student
Life at Kingsborough Community
College, Marilyn
was instrumental in the development
of many major
programs, such as KCC’s
Women’s Center and the
Child Development Center.
On a university-wide level,
she served as the chair
of the Student Activities
Council for many years,
developing workshops and
conferences with the goal
of training student leaders.
Highly driven to help
students grow, she founded
the “Student Leadership
Service Award” to provide
support for graduating students
who demonstrated
extraordinary leadership
qualities. Years later, it
was renamed the “Dean
Marilyn Chernin Student
En-dowed Service Award”
to honor the leadership
and success of students
over the years. Marilyn
was once quoted saying
that “my award is an outgrowth
of my career’s work
at KCC and my investment
in its students. I have seen
so many students become
leaders, and I feel honored
to have played a role in
their growth.”
Marilyn retired after 34
years of full-time service,
but continued to be active
in the community and at
KCC. She served as vice
president and president of
the Manhattan Beach Community
Group, and served,
until her passing, on their
Board of Directors. She was
a member and secretary of
the Coney Island Hospital
Advisory Board, and she
also served as chair of the
KCC Retiree group.
When combining her
work in both full- and parttime
positions, Marilyn
spent a total of 52 years at
KCC. Recognizing her outstanding
contributions to
the College, she was poised
to be honored in March
during the celebration of
Women’s History Month
with the inaugural Women
Trailblazers Award but
the ceremony was postponed
as New York State
was placed on pause due
to COVID-19. Sadly, just a
couple of weeks later, we
received the devastating
report about Marilyn. My
deepest sympathies to Marilyn’s
family, and to all who
knew and loved her.
Kingsborough loved
Marilyn, and she loved us
right back. Marilyn showed
us how to take the ball and
run with it! She showed us
how to successfully initiate
plans and follow through,
and how to be resourceful
and take on challenges for
the greater good of others.
What better legacy to leave
than one rich in service
and good deeds.
Dr. Claudia V. Schrader
is president of Kingsborough
Community College.
A special tribute to Dean
Marilyn Chernin will be
posted on the College’s website
www.kbcc.cuny.edu and
social media pages, including
YouTube, Linkedin,
Facebook, Tweeter and Instagram
with the hashtag
#CUNYkcc.
EDUCAT I O N PROFI LE
Honoring a Legacy of Service
Reading and Writing
Math
Science
Social Studies
& More
Visit schools.nyc.gov/letslearn
to find out more.
Content airs in English. Spanish captions are also available.
/www.kbcc.cuny.edu
/www.kbcc.cuny.edu
/letslearn