VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, November 7, 11 am–2 pm
Come learn about
our 62 career-focused
degree programs;
admission process and
financial aid!
WWW.CITYTECH.CUNY.EDU/OPENHOUSE
Caribbean Life, OCT. 29-NOV. 4, 2021 21
����������������������������������������������������
The Wizard of Oz has
their legendary Judy (Garland
that is, in her role
as Dorothy) and we have
ours. For over 30 years, Judith
Cohen (affectionately
known as Judy) has called
Kingsborough her home.
Born a stone’s throw from
KCC, Judy spent her childhood
years growing up in
Coney Island with her twin
brother, an older brother
and a tribe of cousins who
were close in age and lived
close to her. A young Judy
attended PS 80, Mark Twain
and Lincoln High schools.
She recalls that her mother
and aunts were active in
school activities, including
the Parent-Teacher Association.
It is not surprising
that the same level of
involvement would rub off
on Judy as she too would go
on to be active in her own
daughters’ school activities.
As I reflect on Judy and
what I have learned about
her formative years, it is
hard to say what influenced
the person she has become.
Is it her natural ability to
work so well with groups
(fostered by her spending
time with her tribe of cousins);
a genetic history of advocacy
(her aunts and her
mother’s active involvement
in school activities); or her
time as a student (then graduate
of Kingsborough, a college
that has long had a history
of preparing students
to be civically engaged in
their communities)?
While I can’t say definitively
what influenced her,
what we do know for sure
is that 24 years after coming
to KCC as a part-time
employee, 21 years after
becoming a full-time staff
member, and four years after
earning her associate
degree at KCC, Judy took up
the leadership mantle like
her mother and aunts before
her and became the KCC
Shop Steward of Local 384 of
the DC 37 Union.
This step into leadership
was a natural one, Judy
would say, because she enjoys
helping others and is
deeply committed to the
mission of the College. Judy
takes her role as an advocate
and conduit of information
between the local union
chapter and the KCC membership
very seriously. She
is not a leader who is content
just sitting behind her
desk; she is a leader that can
be found at all college-wide
meetings and events, supporting
colleagues, fundraisers
for students and
alumni gatherings. During
this era of social distancing,
Judy was a fixture on our
Zoom screens, doing everything
from celebrating KCC
Employees of the Month;
to actively participating as
part of the Forward Committee,
a dedicated group of
faculty, staff and students
charged with developing the
plan that ensured the community’s
safe return to campus;
and not surprisingly to
doing what she does best, advocating
for her members.
I’ve worked with Judy
for over three years, and it
is clear to me and everyone
else who knows her that,
like the Tin Man, Scarecrow
and the Lion characters in
the Wizard of Oz, Judy already
has what it takes. Her
heart is filled with a love
for Kingsborough students,
faculty, and staff who she
calls her family. She leads
with innate wisdom handed
down from her mother and
her aunts, and with admirable
courage she continues
to give voice to the voiceless
and make a difference for
our college community.
Dr. Claudia V. Schrader
is president of Kingsborough
Community College (KCC),
a 70-acre academic oasis in
beautiful Manhattan Beach,
Brooklyn. For information
about Kingsborough Community
College, visit the website
at www.kingsborough.
edu.
EDUCAT I O N PROFI LE
There’s no place like KCC and there is no one like Judith Cohen
A profile of heart, wisdom and courage
������ �������� �������������� ������ �������������������������� �������������������� ������������������ �������������� ��������������
������������ �������������� �������� �������� ���������� ���������������� ������ ������������ �������� ������ �������� ������ ������
������������
/www.kingsborough
/OPENHOUSE
/www.kingsborough
