Mary Huffman
Mary Huffman's school
spirit is alive and well -
and she's got 42 years of
working at Kirkwood Community
College to prove it.
There's no denying this vivacious
Kirkwood fan. She bustles with
enthusiasm for helping Kirkwood
students, wearing the distinctive
Kirkwood blue.
Huffman's allegiance to Kirkwood
goes back to its very beginnings,
"when Kirkwood was a toddler," she
says with a laugh. She was a general
secretary studies student from 1968-69
and started full-time work in 1970 in
personnel and licensing. At that time,
community colleges were considered
part of K-14 school systems, Huffman
explains. Her bosses worked tirelessly
to get Kirkwood recognized as a
college, part of a viable community
college system.
"I got such an overwhelming
education working with them,"
Huffman recalls. "I've worked with so
many tremendous people who helped
shape Kirkwood and helped me
become the person I am. I really feel
like they, along with my parents, have
molded me."
That experience shaped her
attitude about making a difference
through the Kirkwood Foundation.
She began by giving 50 cents from
each paycheck - $12 a year - toward
a scholarship. Over the years, she
increased her annual gift, supporting
several scholarships.
"If everybody gives a little bit, it
builds up," she explains. "It really
shows that no amount is too small to
make a difference."
Huffman retired from fulltime
work in 2006 after 36 years
- in administration, business and
athletics departments. She's worked
part-time since 2007, musing that
"working with the students here has
kept me young."
During Kirkwood's 2006
campaign, Huffman decided to
contribute her banked vacation pay
for something new. "I thought,
'this is my chance. I put in all these
years here and I want to give more
and have my name on it. I want to
leave my footprint somehow," says
Huffman.
She has cemented her footprint
by establishing the Mary Huffman
Endowed Scholarship for students
in Kirkwood's Learning Services
programs that help those with
disabilities.
"That program holds a very
special place in my heart," Huffman
notes, because she saw how it helped
her nieces. "Kirkwood hasn't only
touched my life through me, but
through my family."
Today she is part-time office
coordinator for Kirkwood's Student
Life office. She loves it. And she
still doesn't want to retire. "I can't
imagine not coming here to work,"
says Huffman. "This has been my
heart and soul for 42 years."