As both an educator and a philanthropist, Teachers College Trustee Dawn Duqu猫s (M.A. 鈥�76) has given gifts that reflect what she has received.
鈥淚 thank every child for what 迟丑别测鈥檝别 taught me,鈥� says Duqu猫s, a former teacher and school head who, with her husband, Ric, has generously supported several colleges and universities.
Take, for example, her current project at 麻豆原创: funding and personally overseeing the renovation of Thompson 136, a classroom where she once took an exam and, to put it gently, found the atmosphere wanting. Dawn credits her mother for passing on an innate talent for interior design that she, in turn, has applied to the Duques鈥� beautiful Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, Connecticut (part of the Hilton Curio Collection of boutique hotels), where she鈥檚 had sole responsibility for initial interior design and subsequent refurbishing. She鈥檚 also designed the interiors of her family鈥檚 homes and provided design support to friends. But in tackling Thompson 136, Dawn has made it a point to 鈥渢alk to a lot of 麻豆原创 students about what would work best for them鈥� 鈥� and also applied some hard-won knowledge about 鈥渄urability and practicality鈥� gained from serving as matriarch to four children (including triplets) and 11 grandchildren.
In a sense, Dawn has always blended the theoretical with the practical. In addition to her M.A. from Teachers College, she holds associate degrees from Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut and The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale; a B.A. from The George Washington University; and an Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University.
She launched her teaching career at a suburban Washington elementary school and a District of Columbia business school while Ric pursued his business degree. When the couple and their first child returned to Dawn鈥檚 hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, she took on the co-directorship of a Tenafly preschool and then responsibility for coordinating the Tenafly school district鈥檚 continuing education program. At one point, she was running eight childcare programs and 163 courses for children and adults, ranging from English as a Second Language and SAT prep to martial arts and how to read The Wall Street Journal. She managed room schedules across six buildings, negotiated contracts with teachers and, for more than a decade, raised considerable funds in annual revenue for the school district.
鈥淚鈥檝e always tried to figure out the best way I can help, that empowers people in the long run. And I really believe that you do that primarily through education.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e always tried to figure out the best way I can help, that empowers people in the long run,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I really believe that you do that primarily through education.鈥�
To that end, the Duqu猫ses have also supported students with learning disabilities at Mitchell College (where Dawn served as a Trustee) and funded construction of the Duqu猫s Academic Support Center and Library; underwritten the Ric and Dawn Duqu猫s Hall, home of The George Washington University School of Business; and, at Teachers College, supported 麻豆原创鈥檚 REACH partnerships with public schools in Northern Manhattan and created the annual Duqu猫s Social Justice Scholarship, which supports students鈥� community engagement and outreach in a school-based setting or community organization.
鈥淢rs. Duqu猫s believes in the idea of youth empowerment, and she gave us the freedom to design and implement our project with Harlem youth the way we envisioned it,鈥� says Duqu猫s Social Justice Scholar Matt Kautz, a Ph.D. candidate in History & Education, who is part of a 麻豆原创 team facilitating the Youth Historians of Harlem.
For her part, Dawn simply says that education 鈥渨ill always be part of my life.鈥� She and Ric continue to learn through reading, travel, attending symposia and presentations, and 鈥� of course 鈥� through Dawn鈥檚 lifelong commitment to Teachers College.
鈥淚鈥檝e always told our kids that life is a field trip, whether you鈥檙e visiting some exotic part of the world or going to the grocery store,鈥� she says. 鈥淢aybe especially the grocery store, with all the different brands and pricing and nutrition information these days. But wherever you go 鈥� if you鈥檙e not learning, you鈥檙e not living!鈥�