“St. Lawrence game me a unique set of critical and inquiry skills,” says Carol DeFries ’72, professor and chair of humanities and social sciences at Schenectady County (NY) Community College (SCCC).  “That’s special for SLU graduates, and it gives us an edge.”

That “edge” helped DeFries earn a 2009 SCCC Foundation Award for Excellence in Professional Service.  Among her accomplishments: directing a writing center, teaching writing and literature courses, chairing her department and helping develop an honors program.  She has worked on SUNY assessment and institutional effectiveness projects and has overseen the implementation of Individual Studies and Dependency Counseling degree programs. An English major at SLU, she holds an M.A. in reading from the College of St. Rose.

“I work with two fellow SLU alumnae,” she points out.  “While we are in three different disciplines (English, math and drama) we work in a collaborative way that’s ever so effective.  We have been trying to define what the SLU ‘magical essence’ is, and agree that it is an education that taught us how to think critically and ask questions.  As post-secondary educators, we see the importance of this fundamental skill set.  It has supported me through graduate school and my career.”

DeFries’s memories of St. Lawrence include “all English courses.”  But it was not all work and no play.  She also fondly remembers “friendships, skiing and other outdoor activities, and my sorority, where I learned outreach to the community.”