In recounting his own journey to Teachers College, Scott describes it as "the road less traveled," which included growing up in the inner city and dropping out of high school. Scott eventually received his GED, and then attended night school at Jersey City State College. With a desire to travel, Scott spent a semester abroad at the University of Copenhagen.

He returned to Europe after earning his bachelor's degree, this time to Amsterdam and Milan, where he taught 5th and 6th grades. With a career in education in mind, Scott came to Teachers College for a master's degree in Comparative and International Education, and then a doctorate in Educational Administration.

As president of the TC Alumni Council, Scott speaks eloquently about the importance of harnessing alumni support for the College. "Alumni are the lifeblood of Teachers College. As alumni, we nourish and give back to the College. It's the role of the Alumni Council to make sure that we create and sustain lifelong relationships between our alumni and Teachers College."

Under Scott's leadership, the Alumni Council efforts to foster that connection have been stepped up. The council is heading an initiative to survey alumni on issues that will assist several of the College's academic departments in their planning efforts.

The council also plans to identify leaders in each of several European and Asian countries who coordinate annual alumni gatherings. In Scott's view, "the College, our students and alumni will all benefit greatly from these initiatives."

Published Tuesday, Sep. 18, 2001