A message from Edmund Gordon in support of a rising star

Friends I am writing this letter on the behalf of (almost) Doctor Cassandra Baptist Edwards, who next month will defend her dissertation as a part of her pursuit of the Doctor of Education degree from the American University in Washington, DC.

Cassandra is best known for her work as a specialist in community education and development. She has recently worked as a program and research assistant in the Gordon Institute for Advance Study at Columbia University. She has worked in Community out reach for the CEJJES Institute of Pomona NY. She is the founder and Director of Advocating for Change, a community education, development and Service Agency in Rockland County New York. The Doctor to be Edwards is well positioned and prepared to continue to provide leadership in minoritized urban and suburban communities.

But these characteristics and qualifications are not why I want to help Cassandra raise the money necessary to the awarding of her doctorate. Cassandra became interested in the completion of a degree in higher education after she was married and the mother of three children. She was 42 years old when under the guidance of the late Dr.Susan Gordon , Mrs. Mimi Goldstein and a few other friends she completed the BS degree in Sociology. Under my guidance she completed a Master of Science degree in Educational Policy and Leadership. She was invited to join a cohort of in our suit of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at American University. All of these graduate studies have been pursued and completed while being Black and poor. Cassandra has virtually scraped the bottom of her barrel to raise and borrow the money with which

to pursue her professional education.

This very creative, productive and resilient woman is now facing a financial hurtle. Her University which has greatly extended itself to enable her to get this far, requires that its graduating students resolve their financial obligations to the University before they can claim their degrees. Cassandra needs about $10,000 to pay her remaining obligations to the American University. In effect after scrapping together through loans and the kindnesses of others nearly $150,000 $10k stand between this kind sole and a doctoral degree. If we can help Cassandra Edwards raise ten thousand dollars, she can pay her financial debt to American University and accept the Ed.D degree that she has earned.

This letter is to request that you help Cassandra overcome this her final hurtle in pursuit of the completion of her professional education. In my book she is more than deserving of our help. The fact is that she is a star among my “Defiers of Negative Predictions for Success.” Cassandra has done it and done so well! Thank you

Cordially,

Ed Gordon

Edmund W. Gordon, Ed.D

John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Emeritus - Yale University

Richard March Hoe Professor of Psychology and Education, Emeritus and Director Emeritus of The Gordon Institute for Advanced Study, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Honorary President and Fellow of the American Educational Research Association

Member of the National Academy of Education

Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science