Cindy Howe
We are delighted to introduce our community of alumni and friends to Broward College graduate and employee, Cindy Howe. Cindy earned several certificates from Broward College beginning in 2021 and culminating in 2024 when she earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, Summa Cum Laude (the highest academic distinction possible for a degree program). Recently, Cindy joined the President’s office and now serves as the Senior Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of Broward College, Mr. Torey Alston.
We asked Cindy about her journey with Broward College and how it has influenced her path and success.
Cindy, where did you grow up and what motivated you to pursue studies at Broward College?
I’m from the Caribbean, the country of Trinidad and Tobago to be precise. Although I grew up relatively comfortably, my parents couldn’t afford to send me to university, so I attended secretarial school for one year and had a job before I’d even taken the final exams at the age of 17. When I started working at Broward College on April 23, 2018, in an Administrative Specialist III role, I was motivated and lovingly encouraged by my colleagues and my darling husband to pursue an AA degree. I heeded their advice and earned my Associates of Arts degree in the fall of 2021.
Can you tell us about one or two moments that stand out about your time at the College?
Earning my first “A” grades in my first semester. I was “hooked.” Earning those grades was very “addictive.”
The amazing guidance from my official and unofficial advisors at Central Campus. They were my constant cheerleaders, and their encouragement really helped to keep me focused.
And of course, graduation day at Hard Rock Live. The feeling of accomplishment…I thought my heart would burst with pride.
Did you have any favorite professors or people at the College who were important to you as a student?
There were so many who “poured into me” that if I missed anyone, I would feel bad. However, my colleague Pauline Ramsay set the standard for what I consider top class wraparound advising and coaching. Without her support, my experience during my AA would not have been as rewarding as it was.
Were there any resources at the college that were important to you when you were a student?
The Math Lab within the ASC was critical to my success in all my math classes during the AA journey. I was terrified of taking math class because as a high schooler I was not a very strong math student. However, with the help of amazing professors and the tutors at the ASC, I passed all my math classes.
Where did you go after Broward College? How did what you learn at the College prepare you for your path?
I’m still here at Broward College and have no plans to leave anytime soon 😉
When I earned my BAS in Supervision and Management in the spring of 2024, I knew that I wanted to explore other opportunities within the college. The BAS helped me to see decisions made at the College from a leadership perspective, which I believe, helps me to better support my leaders.
How does your experience as a student affect your work today? How does it affect how you relate with current students?
Having worked in the office of the dean of student services at Central Campus for 5+ years, while working on my AA and BAS degrees, students who would come to our office with complaints about a myriad of issues. Listening attentively and actively is always called for, however, my being able to say to them that I too, am a student or was recently a student helped to ease the conversation so much more and made for a bond of sorts between the students and me; they knew that I understood what they were explaining or experiencing whether I had the same experience or not. In my new role at the Office of the President, while I’m a lot more removed from being face to face with students, my student services experience still serves me well when an email or call is directed to the President’s office.
What was your motivation for organizing your Employee Resource Group? What compelled you to take it on in addition to your daily work duties?
The administrative support experience at Broward College is an interesting one, in that there is typically no handover/onboarding from the previous office holder to the new administrative specialist. This was my experience 7 years ago - my first day at BC – and remains the situation for this cohort of employees today. This is my motivation for wanting to form an organization within BC that could help assistants, whether new or not, get a handle on the length and breadth of the role with the support of other assistants, to create a space where they can quickly get an answer on a process with which they aren’t familiar, to create a monthly forum to allow departments to walk assistants through particular processes, all of which was intended and has proven to help take some of the burden of training assistants away from the leaders to whom they report. We were too siloed and now we’re not!
I’m very grateful to my co-leads at the Administrative Support Professionals Network, without whom it would not be as dynamic an entity as it is: Giannela Haddad, Francisco Nelson, and Leila Bijoux. Thanks to our sponsors, Drs. Elizabeth Molina and Todd Bernhardt, and Tamara Bell our ERG liaison, the amazing Betsy Lopez, and Dr. Sophia Galvin of Talent and Culture who introduced Employee Resource Groups to Broward College, and in doing so established a platform that did not previously exist, that allows employees to create meaningful connections with our colleagues. Thank you!
What do you wish other people knew about Broward College?
That we have the most amazing people at Broward College who are truly passionate about the work that we do, whether it’s serving our students or serving each other, we are well-equipped and ready to be the number one destination not only for academic excellence, but for all round excellence!