After 10 Years of College, Widow and Mother of Two
to Graduate from C.W. Post on Mother’s Day

Seaford resident Catherine McKenna, 55, always wanted to go to college, but never had the opportunity. When her husband passed away in 1992, she wanted to find a positive focus, so she enrolled in a psychology class at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville.

"After taking my first psychology class," she said, "I knew this was something I wanted to pursue."

A secretary in the Seaford Middle School since 1983, McKenna balanced her full-time position with study and raising her children. "There were times I didn't think I could do it, but my advisor, who encouraged me every step of the way, always helped me find a solution - whether I took a night class, went to school during summer or on the weekends."

McKenna has received several awards during her time at C.W. Post. She has been a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, the National Honor Society for Adult Students since 1997 and, in 2003, she received the Robert N. Weinberger Academic Achievement Award in Psychology. Earlier this year she was elected to the Phi Eta Society at C.W. Post, which follows the criteria and mission of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, and during Commencement weekend she will be awarded both the Robert N. Weinberger Academic Award in Psychology and the Frederick O. Bissell Academic Achievement Award for a Non-Traditional Student.

McKenna found a great deal of support in her workplace and her children over the years. Her children, Jennifer, 31, and Dennis, 27, who now work for J. P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, respectively, attended Manhattanville College during the time that she attended C.W. Post. "They saw me go back to school before they went to college, attending school during their college years and they will see me graduate long after they both have done so," said McKenna. Both will attend the ceremony and watch their mother graduate summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

But McKenna won't be done with school completely. She intends to return to C.W. Post for her master’s degree in psychology. But first, she will take a breather for six months or a year. "It's been a very long time since I had a holiday without a midterm, a final or a paper due," she said. "I look forward to having a break, but I have a feeling I will be back sooner rather than later. My experience at C.W. Post has been such a positive one. I think I'll actually start to miss attending classes."

McKenna will be one of more that 2,500 students who will don their caps and gowns on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9, 2004 for the 46th annual commencement exercises of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The campus has awarded more than 88,000 degrees in its 50-year history, through a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs.