A Conversation with
Dr. Cronin
JENNIFER SCHU
On July 1, 2023, Marta Yera Cronin, Ed.D., became the College’s fifth president. A first-generation college graduate born to immigrant parents, she has over 30 years of experience in education and has served in community colleges for more than two decades. She most recently served as president of Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles, Oregon.
What attracted you to move across the country to take the job?
All the research I had done and everything I had heard indicated that DCCC did a phenomenal job of putting students first and, as a result, had great local support. The community believed in its College. I wanted to be a part of that
What aspects of your background and upbringing encouraged you on your career path?
I was raised by a single mother in inner city New York City. I grew up with many kids who dropped out of school and ended up going down a bad path. Things can go south easily when you grow up in an environment like that. For me, from the time I was little, my mother instilled the belief in me that education was a ticket to a better life. That for me was what cemented the importance of getting an education. Once you obtain it, you are in a position to help people like you. Education is a calling, not a job. It’s about the heart; it’s about changing people’s lives.
Since you arrived, we’ve noticed that you’re everywhere. Students, faculty and staff have been able to meet you informally at each of the College’s centers.
I want to be a real person—not a stuffy person in an office without a grasp of what is going on. The only way I can understand everyone’s perspective is by talking to them. We can’t fix things or make them better if we don’t know there’s a problem. I tell my team all the time that it’s not about maintaining the status quo—it’s about continuously striving to make things better for the students. There are a lot of people here with ideas for great things we can potentially be doing. If we can tap into that, there is nothing we can’t achieve.
Earlier in your career you spent a decade as a K-12 teacher. What about that experience impacts your work today?
K-12 taught me that students are learning from you 24-7. Everything you do and say matters. I once had a student who was a terror in class—until the day he quietly revealed I was his favorite teacher. We are always role models for students, beacons of hope for what they can accomplish. They think, “Maybe I CAN do this.” That’s why it’s so important how we carry ourselves around here. Every faculty and staff member can impact a student’s confidence, journey and success.
What are some of your immediate goals for the College?
I want to make sure that we are serving underserved populations—that we are reaching into every community and every service area. I study maps of Delaware and Chester Counties and there are gaps I want to see filled. In addition to providing greater accessibility to education to students in eastern Delaware County at the future Southeast Campus, we need a greater presence in Chester County—to make people in those communities more aware that we are their community college. We must continue to get the word out to the high schools, especially about our dual enrollment, Teacher Education Program and trades offerings. We must be mindful that as the demographics around some of our campuses continue to change, our programming must adapt to those changes. For example, we are now doing more at Pennocks Bridge to serve students whose first language is Spanish. I’d like to have more community events at the campuses to create greater awareness of our offerings.
Based on your own journey and what shaped you, what advice do you have for current DCCC students?
I believe that few things in life are truly impossible. It’s never too late to get an education. Any student who comes here has the potential to be successful. They just need to ask for help when they need it, take advantage of the great resources we have for them, and put in the time required for their studies. Every person has struggles regardless of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic situation. At the same time, everyone has a path. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The struggle is temporary. You must keep pushing forward.