Marisa Fordunski

What do you teach here at Plaza? Do you have any other special titles?

I teach in the Management, Accounting, Allied Health, and IT Departments. I am also an Assistant Dean. I started at Plaza College in 1997 as an adjunct professor after a 15 year career in reinsurance accounting.

Where did you grow up, primarily, and where did you attend college? What degrees to you hold?

After moving from Greenpoint, Brooklyn at the age of five, my family settled in Maspeth, Queens. I am still living in this neighborhood today. I attended Pace University where I received a BS in Business Education in 1983. I then attended New York Institute of Technology where I earned my MBA in Controllership accounting in 1989.

What do you remember most vividly about your interview at Plaza College?

I remember being ushered into the large conference room to meet the Dean and Provost of the College. I was so impressed with the décor of the room. I also remember being so nervous talking to Mr. Callahan III. On my second interview, I had to do a demo lesson. I remember walking into the classroom with a sinking feeling in my stomach when I saw who my students would be: C3, Dean Dolla, and a few other administrators. I was very nervous, to say the least.

What do you remember about the very first time you ever taught at Plaza?

How happy I was that I decided to make a career change after 15 years. I knew right then and there that this is where I belonged, in the front of a classroom teaching.

What has been your most rewarding experience in the classroom so far?

I have had so many rewarding experiences. The most rewarding moments for me are when I see my students’ eyes light up because they have finally grasped the material being taught. Over the years, several students who struggled in math all their lives would, for the first time,understand solving equations, fractions, and word problems. They would share this with me at the end of the class.

During the day, when you’re not in class or your office (if you have one) where are we likely to find you?

With the Dean in her office or the records room. I also like to work in the small conference room.

In class, if a lesson isn’t going well, what do you do to get your students’ attention?

Yell loudly! Only kidding. I try to engage them as much as possible in the lesson or task at hand. I may either ask students to come to the board or focus on the computer to answer the questions or demonstrate a skill. I may ask them to also form into groups and have them work on discussion questions related to the topic of the lesson.

What has been the most hilarious / outrageous thing that has happened in the classroom so far?

The time one of my students decided he wanted to bring me cat food each day for a week. Somehow, he found out that I had a cat. I mean, I have heard of bringing your teacher an apple, but that was a bit much.

Another time was when I used the slide projector to go over accounting problems. I proceeded to use the marker to circle some of the key points forgetting it was the wall and not the blackboard I was projecting the slides onto.

Tell us something about your life outside the classroom. Do you have any interesting hobbies? A family? Have you achieved something special in your personal life that you would like to share?

I have a wonderful husband named Michael. We will be married 25 years next August. He is a Project Manager in the health-care industry. I have two daughters. Jillian is a sophomore at the University of Albany. My other daughter, Lori-Ann, is a high school sophomore who attends the Frank Sinatra School of Performing Arts. She was accepted in their dance program. They are both my pride and joy.

I don’t have any specific hobbies, but when time allows I enjoy golfing and cooking. Honestly, my two daughters are my life and what keeps me busy when I am not at Plaza When I am not at work, you will mostly find me sitting at a dance competition or college game watching my daughters dance.

I would like to share one personal success story. In February of this year, I started my journey to improve my health. I joined Weight Watchers. I have been on this program for the last 10 months and have lost 63 pounds! I feel so much better both physically and mentally. Many people have told me how I have inspired them to start their own journey to better health. It is words like this that keep motivated and focused on my weight loss program. It is an ongoing challenge, but my journey continues, and I will reach my destination: Goal weight in 2010.

What makes Plaza College so unique?

Plaza College is all about life-long learning and changing lives. We help each student pursue his or her dreams of a better life and education. We shape our students' to become professionals, who are able to, for the first time, embark on a career path.

At each graduation I attend, I look into the audience. I look into the student’s faces and am so inspired about the transformation I see in each and every one of them. As freshmen they came to us lacking the skills and knowledge. Most of them are so uncertain that they can accomplish a college education. When I look into their faces at graduation, I see a calming sense of accomplishment, confidence, and pride. At graduation I love saying to students, “You see, you did it!”

Finish this sentence: Plaza College is: my second home

What does one of Mrs. Fordunski’s former students have to say about her?

“I had Mrs. Fordunski for Business Concepts in my first semester. My first impression of her was that she was an excellent teacher. She also stayed highly involved with her students when it comes to learning. Great teacher!” Monique Adams