Public Employee Press

Stellar students forge friendship while they earn degrees

In four short years at the DC 37 college, graduates Mahalia Sutherland and Gladys Thom earned their degrees and forged a lifelong friendship.

Thom is an empty nester who had attended Cornell University and years later returned to school through the union. Sutherland, who is raising her six children, once matriculated at John Jay College and after several attempts, finally finished her degree at the DC 37 Campus of the College of New Rochelle.

"I started this journey 23 years ago at John Jay," said Sutherland, a Local 371 member and Program Manager at the city Dept. of Youth and Community Development. Family and job responsibilities crowded her schedule, but she did not let them crowd out her desire for a college education.

One of her coworkers graduated college at DC 37. "If she can do it, so can I," said Sutherland, who started at CNR in 2004, dropped out and reenrolled in 2010. "I had to realize that goal and finish. If I stopped again, I would never go back."

Thom, a Dept. of Education Parent Coordinator at P.S. 12 in Brooklyn and a Local 372 member, shared that sentiment. Both were Psychology majors taking many of the same courses. "We teamed up for study groups," she said. Eventually they formed a pact to help each other, and over the years their camaraderie grew into a cherished bond of friendship.

They discussed lectures, studied for exams and bolstered each other's determination to earn top grades. When one was sick, the other made her soup. They supported each other emotionally, rode the A train home together, shared their joys and fears and got to know each other's families. In May they graduated with honors, proud of themselves and each other.

They share a healthy competition. "When I found out Gladys had eight more credits than me, I went to summer session on Saturdays just to catch up," said Sutherland. Active participants in classroom discussions, they sometimes finish each other's sentences, build on shared ideologies, or politely agree to disagree on an issue.

"We always support each other and here we are," said Thom May 19 at the hooding ceremony. While his work as an art scholar in Europe kept Thom's only son, Olujimi Tommasino, from attending, she enjoyed earnest hugs and congratulations from five of Sutherland's children, Keturah, Jeremiah, Rachel, Nehemiah and Aashi. Tommasino surprised Thom by arriving with his dad and sister, Nehanda, at the May 28 CNR graduation at Radio City Music Hall.

"We had full support from our mentors, professors and families to bring us to this day," Sutherland said.

— Diane S. Williams