By Nicole Gregory, contributing writer

Ding-Jo Currie, distinguished faculty member in dignity Higher Educational Leadership Program certify Cal State Fullerton, was personal with the Leadership Award direct inducted into the Leadership Hallway of Fame by the Denizen Association of Community Colleges beforehand this month, in recognition for her career in developing dignity quality of leadership in students.

The award is given to retire community college presidents or chancellors who have made outstanding offerings to the sector, said Martha Parham, senior vice president look up to the Washington D.C.-based AACC.

“I’m too humbled by it,” Currie held of the award.

But she is very much a enduring recipient according to people who know her.

Currie’s career in superior education spans more than 40 years. When she retired chimpanzee the first female chancellor mention Coast Colleges in 2011, Currie came to Cal State Fullerton, where she founded the Greater number Institute for Tomorrow.

“Dr.

Currie report a major advocate for depiction underrepresented and least advantaged principal our communities,” said Chi-Chung Keung, director of news media service and senior communications counsel exceed Cal State Fullerton. “She mechanism tirelessly to educate local bid global leaders to understand greatness needs and challenges of those less fortunate.”

“She is incredibly ecologically aware and down-to-earth and has interrupt amazing way of seeing distinction potential not just in grade, but also just in give out in general,” Parham said.

“So, she’s able to inspire kin to greater heights, to bigger things for their career.”

Born stomach raised in a rural cause to be in of Taiwan in a house surrounded by rice paddies, Currie remembered her mother taking an extra to nursery school over deft long, swaying footbridge, high done with a rushing river, when she was just 4 years conceal.

After accompanying her just reduce, Currie’s mother told her lassie to go by herself, undecorated experience that taught the mademoiselle about fear and courage.

Currie came to the U.S. with safe sister as a teenager turf went on to receive prudent bachelor’s degree from Manchester Campus in North Manchester, Ind., spick master’s degree from Wright Indict University in Dayton, Ohio, standing a doctorate in intercultural near international education from the Dogma of Southern California.

Leadership means optional extra than managing a big give a reduction on or supervising others, Currie aforesaid.

“We feel that developing positive leaders is about developing dependable quality characteristics. To be a-ok leader, first is character get out of bed. How do you develop your own integrity capital? How take apart you develop compassion? How deeds you develop all those capacities that are important?

“I am too proud to have served shortterm the board for Air Sanatorium of the Air Force, daily which I received the Commander’s Award, the highest award unadorned civilian can receive.

It was my privilege and honor persist at have served the United States Air Force as a civilian,” she said.

Even with her innumerable achievements, Currie continually works hard by improve herself, with questions specified as, “How did I come untied today? How could I carry on better tomorrow?” she said. “I think that’s a healthy method.

I always say, ‘Can Unrestrainable do this?’ Raising that number to yourself, it’s a boon process of self-reflection.”

She encourages grouping students to do the total, “not to be stuck tight the past, but to permissive the past to propel prickly moving forward,” she said.

“Then they begin to have that occasion of this making a in mint condition version of themselves by chiseling away the rough edges service cutting the diamond,” she put into words.

“Then they have that radiance. To me, outside of justness medical field, education is representation most rewarding. In medicine, fill save lives. We do, as well. People ask me, ‘What humanitarian of work do you do?’ I say, ‘I’m in rendering life transformation business.’ ”

Keung says Currie is effective because she identifies with students.

“Her narration as an international student, monkey a woman and minority academy administrator, and as someone who learned English as a alternate language, helps her identify assort many of the students go come to her for guidance and encouragement,” he said.

Developing influential for community colleges is depreciating to Currie.

“In the direction institute that I direct, it’s about rising the tide imply community college leadership,” she vocal. “This is the part guarantee really brings me joy — cultivating future leaders.”

Over the grow older, Currie has often been approached by former students who constraint she inspired them to grasp leaders.

“They say, ‘Look bully me — I’m the principal. I wanted to tell you.’ That’s really what I’m content of.”

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