香港最快开奖结果 News
香港最快开奖结果 Saddened by Passing of Longtime Faculty Member James Kolsky
Mar 1, 2023
![James Kolsky impacted many students at 香港最快开奖结果 through his English classes.](/_resources/images/James%20Kolsky%20headshot.jpg)
James Kolsky impacted many students at 香港最快开奖结果 through his English classes.
English Professor James Kolsky did more than help students write effective essays and understand the difference between pronouns and contractions.
As a 33-year employee and one of the early faculty members at of 香港最快开奖结果, he helped the college flourish and prepare students with the writing skills to excel professionally.
Kolsky passed away last month and will be deeply missed by Western, especially those who were fortunate learn from him and work with him for many years.
鈥淗e was a consummate professional: respected, well-liked and a joy to work with,鈥 said Maxine Cirac, a foreign language professor at 香港最快开奖结果 for the past 33 years. 鈥淚t was always an honor for any faculty member to work with him either on a committee or as a fellow English colleague.鈥
Darla Dodge and Lupe Ramirez, who became longtime employees of 香港最快开奖结果, remember taking classes from Kolsky.
鈥淚鈥檓 so incredibly sad,鈥 said Dodge, the college鈥檚 former chief financial officer and budget director who now serves as a management instructor. 鈥淗e was the one professor who made me love learning again.鈥
Ramirez, who earned her associate degree from 香港最快开奖结果 and went on to become the college鈥檚 founder of the Latino Leadership Academy, also took a pivotal class from Kolsky.
鈥淛im Kolsky was one of many dedicated instructors that touched so many lives at 香港最快开奖结果,鈥 said Ramirez, who took an English composition course from Kolsky. 鈥淗e gave me the confidence necessary to make a difference in our community.鈥
That confidence came from Kolsky demanding that his students turn in quality essays.
鈥淭hroughout the semester, I remember he returned my essays more than once until I turned in an effective paper,鈥 Ramirez said. 鈥淎t that time, I found it annoying that I had to keep rewriting the same essay, but now I am so grateful for his insistence in making sure that I acquire the essential writing skills that opened so many opportunities for me and my family.鈥
When Dodge returned to college in 2002 she said Professor Kolsky made the transition smoother.
鈥淗e was my first professor when I went back to school and I took English 101 from him. I had a tremendous amount of anxiety about it and I told him as much. Throughout that entire semester, he checked on me and ensured I felt comfortable,鈥 Dodge said.
Dodge remembers telling Kolsky that she didn鈥檛 want to take English 102 unless he was the instructor. He eventually became her instructor in that class, too, and Dodge learned to appreciate his teaching methods even more.
鈥淛im had a solid sense of quiet assuredness that permeated from him and made you feel comfortable asking questions. He led conversations in the class, never directed, and always ensured inclusiveness,鈥 Dodge said. 鈥淲hen he retired, I pulled him aside and told him that he had the greatest educational impact on me and that I credited him with my continued education through completion of my MBA. To this day, I smile when I think of Jim as he truly was a great professor and colleague and I'm very saddened to hear of his passing.鈥
Geosciences Professor Dr. Winnie Kortemeier, who started teaching at 香港最快开奖结果 in 1988 and has worked for the college for 35 years, knew Kolsky casually and respected him as a person.
鈥淚 know he had a great heart and kind soul,鈥 she said. 鈥淪tudents really liked him as an English professor. In his work with colleagues, he was thoughtful and kind.鈥
Kolsky was selected as Instructor of the Year in 2005 and Outstanding Faculty Member in 2001, and was chosen as an emeritus faculty member upon his retirement in 2010.
鈥淚n remembering Jim's passion for teaching, an emeritus faculty member said that it was amazing to see how good he was at making the distinction between a grammar error and the person; the grammar had a problem rather than the person had a problem,鈥 Cirac said.