KCC Grad Spotlight
Ruth Thomas
KCC Grad Spotlight: Salutatorian Always Had College On Her Bucket List
One day, retiree Ruth Thomas was sitting at home watching TV and a commercial aired about 911爆料 Community College (KCC) offering older adults a great opportunity to attend college tuition free. Her daughter turned to her and suggested that she sign up. So, Ruth did in the fall of 2018. Her first class in KCC鈥檚 My Turn program was math. After receiving an A grade in the class, she was off and running. Ruth matriculated by the summer and declared a major in Early Childhood Education. After taking her first psychology class, she changed her major to mental health and human services with a concentration in domestic violence counseling. Today, the 66-year-old grandmother of two is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and was named the salutatorian of KCC鈥檚 Class of 2021.
鈥淎 degree was something I didn鈥檛 get before when I was in school. It was always a personal accomplishment that I wanted to pursue,鈥� explained Ruth, a native of Brooklyn. 鈥淚 always felt that I was the smart kid who didn鈥檛 make the right choices at certain times. So now was the right time for me to do this. I had my family; I鈥檓 financially secure. I wanted to go back and get something that meant so much to me, and so I鈥檓 doing it.鈥�
Now retired 14 years from the NYC Department of Correction, Ruth鈥檚 goal is to become a 鈥渉elping professional鈥� in the mental health field. 鈥淚 want to find that balance between mental health and domestic violence. You need to help the abuser and the victim 鈥� understand the mindset of both. If you help one and don鈥檛 help the other the cycle continues,鈥� Ruth said.
Interest in helping others is a trait Ruth inherited from her father, a kind soul who couldn鈥檛 see any being (man or animal) go hungry or homeless, and a product of her law enforcement background, in which she encouraged inmates to take advantage of education and medical programs during her career as an officer. Continuing her education to senior college is next for Ruth as she paces herself with family obligations.
鈥淢y parents raised me to believe that getting an education and working hard is the foundation to achieving a successful life,鈥� she said.
Ruth鈥檚 family migrated to New York from the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 1950s. She has a strong cheerleading squad of college graduates behind her that include a daughter and a granddaughter, who have made her feel good about her academic accomplishments. 鈥淚 get the 鈥業 knew you could do it and 鈥業鈥檓 proud of you.鈥� That feels good. And when your (adult) kids tell their friends, 鈥楳y mom got a 4.0,鈥� 鈥� I got some bragging rights.鈥�
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