Cindy Perlman: A Call to Action that People Notice!

Cindy Perlman, Freshman Campus

“I can’t think of anything more rewarding than seeing students proud of something they’ve achieved…”

Freshman Campus teacher Cindy Perlman is more than just a teacher of Family Consumer Science and English–she creates opportunities for her students to make community connections as well.  A former food scientist for a potato producer in Idaho, Cindy found her way back to her initial dream of becoming a teacher just 5 short years ago.  “ I’d wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school, but chose a different career pathway since there weren’t many teaching jobs available in the late ‘70’s–or so I was told.”

What would entice someone to make such a dramatic career change?  “What I love most about teaching is having the opportunity to inspire students to dream big, think outside the box, and feel a sense of empowerment,”  Ms. Perlman says.  “I believe that personal connections with the students are incredibly important. Those relationships are often what motivate students (and teachers) to put forth their best efforts.”

One of the classes Cindy teaches is called Freshman Focus.  In it, students gain a greater understanding of who they are, gain insight about the way in which they think and learn, as well as develop strategies to improve school performance.  Time management, organization skills and goal-setting are included in the strategies, which are intended to assist beginning high school students on a successful path toward commencement.   Ms. Perlman has been an instrumental person in creating this course to provide a sound foundation for our 9th graders.  “I hope that I inspire students to take a risk and attempt something they might have otherwise considered unattainable.   I can’t think of anything more rewarding than seeing students proud of something they’ve achieved, especially if they’ve ever doubted their ability to do so.”

One of the tremendous achievements of her students can be seen in an annual service project to benefit the homeless of Livingston County.  Ms. Perlman is responsible for this project, and the enthusiasm of her students has been key to its huge success.  “A Call to Action—End Homelessness” will be in its 4th year.  One hundred student volunteers raised over $9,000 last year, camping out on the lawn of the Freshman Campus for a weekend, sleeping in cardboard boxes with limited food and amenities.  Students also had to give up their cell phones and other electronic devices.  They learned a lot from this experience, and participation is expected to increase to 200 students this year.  The tentative date for this year’s event is April 24-25th.  Community members are encouraged to stop by and visit the participants, donate food or money, or any other means of support.

In her spare time, Ms. Perlman is also currently a member of the Teacher Education Committee at Madonna University and serves as an adjunct instructor in Madonna University’s College of Education.