Jim & Bob

June 2, 2021

Dr. Dipillo (Pat) was a statistics professor with an office across from the shared office that I and two other doctoral students occupied at Baruch College. Pat used to look after us…bought us coffee and buttered rolls on Fridays. Told the guy behind the counter to “clean the knife”…nothing but the best for us. I’m remembering this because it is generally small stuff that you recall and the big picture is usually found in the little details…like helping young up-and-comers to get to the next stop…sometimes it simply amounts to a well-timed and intended buttered roll. I take these small lessons to heart. You are going to notice some healthy meandering in this story line towards the goal of growing Difference Makers to 15 schools. If you take the train from Times Square to the Aquarium, you’ll be there a while, but you will get there. So hang in there. Today, I want to recognize two huge Difference Makers at St. John’s: Jim & Bob, the Vice Provost and “Associate” Provost of the Staten Island campus. These two gentlemen “got” the big picture of going into the community to meet people. That’s where the magic begins. Jim has been everywhere in New York with a storied career as a NYPD Deputy Commissioner prior to his current assignment and Bob knows half of New York and makes it his business to go to where people are….all kinds of people. These two gentlemen understood that the Staten Island community is among the friendliest and most accepting communities in New York…and they wanted professors to see for themselves…go out and meet people. Jim & Bob are all about Civic Engagement. So, that’s what we did with Difference Makers….it was nothing more than putting professors out at high schools to hint and guide students towards learning about how service to the community works. My affection and gratitude to these two leaders is enduring. Jim and Bob understood and understand why we put in the time to help high school students go to college.

Left to right: Jim, Nick, & Bob.