40 The QUeeNS CoUrier • Buzz • JANUARY 28, 2016 FOR BReAKiNg NewS viSiT www.queenscourier.com 26 times • JANUARY 28, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Kingsborough Community College President Herzek: Dreaming things that never were and asking why not! Victoria’s Secrets It's been five years since we bought The Home Reporter and sister publications The Brooklyn Spectator and Spectator News. I was born and grew up in Brooklyn, and I always feel like I'm home when I’m in my "home" borough. This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting the new president of the stunningly located campus of Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach. It sits nestled between Sheepshead Bay and the Coney Island Channel with beautiful views surrounding the campus. Since 2014, President Farley Herzek has been continuing the award-winning school’s transformative opportunities. He is passionate about the school and its unique student body but I learned how passionate the student body is too when President Herzek shared the question he posed to the students at their graduation: "How many of you travel an hour to get to campus?” Most of the class stood. Then he asked how many traveled two hours. Three quarters of the class stood. He went on, with many students standing at multiple hours till he asked how many students traveled six hours and there were still multiple people standing. To me, it meant how much the school and what it offers meant to the two-year graduates. Very impressive! But then, so is Dr. Herzek. Like me, he was born and grew up in Brooklyn and also went to Brooklyn College, the first person in his family to graduate college and then go on to more advanced degrees. On graduating, he left home for the west coast where he worked in the education world and led several colleges, making a name for himself by receiving the Outstanding California Community College Administrator of the Year award. After a nationwide search, the CUNY board selected him to lead Kingsborough Community College. He said at the time, "It's a privilege to come back to Brooklyn to serve the communities and the CUNY system that gave me my start in life." And his quest to move Kingsborough, which now ranks No. 4 on the list of top community colleges in the country, to No. 1 is on its way. With his knowledge and knowhow, he has already put in place a program to attack the problems his mature students face to be able to complete their college education. I was amazed when he shared with me that dropouts from school are a result of basic problems, such as having money for a MetroCard, food and books. This becomes overwhelming and influences their ability to stay in school. Fortunately, not only has President Herzek identified those problems but he is addressing each one. Since his highest priorities are retaining students and answering their basic needs, President Herzek allocated $100,000 from the school’s foundation to create an app for freshmen to identify their concerns, and have a faculty member respond quickly. As an example, when the faculty heard that something as basic as a student’s food needs was an issue, that student was directed to the on-campus Food Bank, where food is available for students and their families. More than 1,300 students receive scholarships totaling almost half a million dollars. The remarkable student body represents 142 countries (there are 195 countries in the world), and they speak 73 different languages. Although Kingsborough ranks as No. 4 on the list of top community colleges in the nation, it was the only school and community college to earn “Leader College” distinction in 2015. To add to the academic opportunities the school has become a part of the community through its summer concerts, year-round theater and rich Continuing Education Program. On Stage at Kingsborough brings entertainment from jazz to cabaret to theater to music from every culture to an enormously popular family series — something for everyone! And they have plenty of free parking. It doesn't get better than this! President Herzek is on his way to achieving his goal of making Kingsborough, the only community college in Brooklyn, the No. 1 community college in the nation. Dynamic DENTAL for all WORK the news 24 hours, 7 days a week Free Whitening included the inViSiBle WAy to Some excluSionS Apply StrAighten teeth 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 go to www.third generation dentist timesnewsweekly.com $1500 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign Victoria SCHNEPS-YUNIS vschneps@gmail.com tweet me @vschneps President Herzek is proud of his Urban Farm, which is an outdoor STEM lab The gorgeous Kingsborough Campus sits on the Brooklyn waterfront
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