“Say: Travel through the Earth and deeply observe how God did originate the creation; then God produces the next creation; surely God has power over all things” (Qur’an 29:19-20)
Welcome and May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.
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“Helping provide educational opportunities gave my life a meaningful purpose”
cathy wolfe
What do you do in your job?
“I’ve worked for higher education for over 30 years and semi-retired in 2014 as Executive Director of Advancement and Community Relations (Emeritus) at College of Marin. I was recruited in 2016 by one of my former bosses to work for six-months as a consultant in 2016. That six months has turned into four years, and they recently renewed my contract for another year. At Marin I oversaw fund-raising, scholarships, publications, events, internal and external communications, website, switchboard, mail room, and a full service campus print shop. I oversaw a very talented and hard working staff of 12-14 people. I've been working in the field of communications for years and always have used a camera in my work for executive portraiture, events, and promotion, but it wasn't until recently that I started to focus (so to speak) on subjects in nature that inspired me. In addition to working as a consultant now, I am pursuing my passion as a wildlife photographer. I have had several solo exhibits and two of my photos were published by National Geographic, which was a huge thrill.”
What do you love about your job?
“Working for higher education and particularly for community colleges has given me an appreciation of the importance of education in achieving quality of life. Watching students succeed, who may not have otherwise had opportunities to obtain a college degree, is what has kept me inspired over many years. Community colleges in California are an important safety net providing access to education for many who would otherwise be under served. Students can attend a California community college and enroll in classes that allow them to transfer to the University of California (US) or California State University (CSU) systems as a junior, saving thousands of dollars in the process. While it is very difficult to get into schools like UC Berkeley as a freshman, students can almost be guaranteed to transfer as a junior by completing the necessary classes at a qualified community college. I have seen many students who are the first in their families to attend college. A large portion of these students are recent immigrants to the U.S. In addition, community colleges in California train people for occupations like nursing, medical assisting, dental hygiene, EMT, automotive, accounting and many other careers.”
“My Lord, Increase Me In Knowledge” Qur’an (20:114)
What do like least about your job?
“I think that earlier in my career, the sheer number of meetings sometimes seemed unproductive, and there were many long days and weekends, but that is the nature of an Executive Director's position. As I am mostly retired now, and enjoying working part time as a consultant, the hours are much easier, meetings fewer, and projects have a beginning, middle, and end.”
Did faith have any role in choosing your career?
“In a way, yes. I wanted to do something that made a positive difference in the world. Helping provide educational opportunities gave my life a meaningful purpose. Also, it is significant that the first word of the Quran to be revealed was: 96:1 (Asad) "Read in the name of thy Sustainer". Education has historically played a pivotal role in Islam. In my work, I saw people of all ages and backgrounds striving to learn in order to improve lives. Through my work, I also gained a deep appreciation for lifelong learning. We had many special programs for older students and retirees, from tai chi to creative writing, from Rumi poetry to the history of western civilization. In fact, some of our older retired students enrolled in a variety of academic classes. I met a former federal attorney who went back to school to study chemistry and physics because he missed that in his youth and also a former state senator who enrolled in many fine art classes and became an accomplished artist. When I first retired in 2014, the first thing that I did was enroll at College of Marin (where I had been working) in a field study ornithology class. It changed my life! As a result I became an avid bird photographer, traveled around the world in search of exotic and beautiful avi-fauna, and started writing about birds and habitat conservation online, where I have developed a following of nature lovers.”
“Allah will exalt in rank those of you who believe and those who have knowledge. Allah is aware of all that you do." (Qur'an 58:11)
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Are there parts of your job that make you a better Muslim?
“An interesting question, but my faith isn't contingent on any aspect of my work.”
What do you want people, especially Muslims, to know about your career?
“I retired from full-time work in 2014, after 27 years of working in higher education. It was a satisfying career in many respects, but I am happy that I retired somewhat early so that I have had time to explore other interests. Since retiring, I have had more time to spend with my husband and travel to many other countries, including Ecuador, Japan, India, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia among others. I met you on one of those trips when we went to your conference in Mexico. In fact, Michael and I went on Umrah in December 2019 with my his business partner Alex, his wife Luby and their extended family. We traveled to Medina and Mecca with a wonderful group from the nonprofit Muhsen. Muhsen is an amazing organization that strives to create a better understanding of Disabilities in our communities. My friend Luby Ismail, who has MS, was on the trip. Traveling with these extraordinary people helped me deepen my faith enormously. If I had been working full-time, it would have been difficult for me to make such a journey as the nature of my former job was so demanding. You can learn more about the important work that Muhsen is doing at: https://muhsen.org.”
“Read in the name of your Lord; who created you from a clot; Recite and your Lord is most generous; Who taught by the pen; Taught man that which he knew not.” (Qur’an 96:1-5)
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” John Dewey
For more information:
More on Cathy Summa-Wolfe, www.cathysummawolfephotos.com/
https://philanthropy.iupui.edu
Nagamia Institute of Islamic Medicine and Science: https://www.niims.org
1001 Inventions: the Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization: http://www.1001inventions.com