By Pam Hersh
No one asked Jill Biden the second question the one that is asked after the first question, which generally has more gravitas and is less frivolous than the second question.
”Second Lady Biden, how do you deal with being called ‘Second Lady’?”
My question for Jill Biden might have sounded second rate, but was as serious as the event at which I met her.
There is nothing “second” about Jill Biden. First of all, she is thought to be the first second lady to hold a paying job while her husband is vice president. She is a first-rate English professor at a first-rate community college (Northern Virginia Community College), and currently the nation’s premier advocate for the community college role as an invaluable tool in workforce development.
And being a first-rate advocate is exactly what she was doing, when I as a trustee at another first-rate community college, Mercer County Community College had the honor and privilege to meet Dr. Biden.
She came to MCCC March 29 to highlight the mission of community colleges in developing a flexible, highly skilled, 21st-century workforce. A native of Hammonton, Dr. Biden gave a few inspiring comments about her passionate commitment to her work, a commitment that included grading papers of her students, while traveling on the Amtrak train to her MCCC speaking engagement.
Accompanying Dr. Biden was U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, who participated in a panel discussion at Mercer to address the importance of employer partnership programs through the nation’s community colleges. Representatives from five of New Jersey’s 19 community colleges discussed how the programs provide students with training for high-demand careers. The representatives described how community colleges have partnered with employers to prepare people of all ages to enter the workforce in gratifying jobs that are fulfilling important roles in society.
MCCC showcased Princeton restaurateur Raoul Momo, along with one of his chefs, Frank Caponi, a graduate of MCCC’s Culinary Arts Program. Mr. Momo, a very visible and prominent member of the Princeton merchant community, is co-owner of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group consisting of Mediterra on Hulfish Street in Princeton; Eno Terra on Route 27 in Kingston; Teresa Café on Palmer Square East in Princeton and Witherspoon Bread Company on Witherspoon Street in Princeton.
Witherspoon Bread pastries and food items are the menu offerings at the Princeton Public Library Café, and also frequently are donated for community events, such as Princeton Future meetings. Mr. Caponi, a sous chef at Mediterra, praised the culinary arts program at MCCC as one of the best in the state and maybe even in the country.
”All you need to do is take the first step. Community colleges help you and guide you to a better future,” Dr. Biden told the audience.
But as members of my family know, that second step toward education and career goals, often toward a second career, is equally important and equally part of the community college mission. Often a second choice for many individuals, the community college route turns out to be the stepping stone to the first choice or usurps the first choice entirely. As a second child and a huge fan of the Second Lady, I think we need a campaign to rethink or rebrand the term “second.” After all, it is second nature to reinvent.
A longtime resident of Princeton, Pam Hersh is vice president for government community affairs with Princeton HealthCare System. She is a former managing editor of The Princeton Packet,
