(See Part I “My Delaware County Community College!”)

Before I ever went to a Community College, I had to make up several deficits in my learning. I had to take Remedial Math as well as Remedial English. I passed both and was then permitted to take regular classes which include journalism studies and just as important, the school’s extra-curricular activity of working on the college newspaper. I began as a reporter for The Communitarian. The paper used my by-line on every story I wrote, and by my second year at DCCC, I was named Editor.

     I also got involved in politics during the 1972 election and did a poll of all the politicians running for office in the sponsoring school districts. As Editor-in-Chief, I then endorsed a candidate who was running for president of the United States, George McGovern. Journalism turned out to be a lot of fun for me.

Journalism Scholarship and Government Award

I was awarded a Sigma Delta Chi journalism prize which I used in my transfer to Temple University in Philadelphia. I also got a fellowship – the James A Finnegan Foundation – which led to a summer job in our state’s capital Harrisburg. As part of the award, I joined other students for dinner with then governor Milton J Shapp, for whom I would end up writing a speech as a state employee in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s public information office.

• For some reason, I was one of three students chosen to give a graduation speech to the Class of 1973. I spoke about my educational journey and used an old airline saying “Getting there is half the fun.” I also criticized President Richard M Nixon for what would turn out to be his downfall from the Watergate investigation.
• Several of the school board of trustee members voiced their disapproval until the key speaker also criticized Nixon. The speaker was Claude Lewis, the first black journalist to ever write a newspaper column for a major American publication, the Evening Bulletin of Philadelphia. (I smiled and felt uplifted on hearing his words!)

Credits Transerred to Temple University

     Temple University came easy. I was able to transfer 42 of the credits I earned at the community college and was able to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in journalism in a single year which included summer school. I still had credit under the GI Bill which offered 48 months of school payments, so I decided to get a Master’s Degree in American History, which I also completed in a full year with summer school classes.

• That’s Three Degrees in Four Years if anyone is counting. It usually takes six years for such activities. My Associate’s Degree from DCCC is still my favorite.

I worked as a reporter for the Pottstown Mercury newspaper and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. I also served as a union organizer for The Newspaper Guild with an NLRB election held in Reading, PA.

Last but Not the Least – Jurist Doctor Degree

Oops. I almost forgot. I also ended up getting another degree, a jurist doctor degree in 1988 after graduating from Temple Law School, and like our current president, Joe Biden, worked as a public defender right out of school. I spent 20 years with the Defender Association of Philadelphia trying more than 100 jury trials and winning more than half of them!

     I am still writing articles and hope to continue to share my thoughts whenever possible. See Contoveros.WordPress.com.

I owe it all to the Delaware County Community College!