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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Telling a story of friendship, connection and hope, Gigi Darko’s new book “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pan” showcases positive experiences during the coronavirus crisis. Pictured is the Darko family of South River. See story, page 3.

New director of East Brunswick Public Library says library is ‘in her blood’

‘W hen I was in high school, my mom brought me to this li- brary for a project,” Melissa

vanced Placement (AP) exams in calcu- lus and physics, Avinash Kumar signed up for classes at Middlesex County College.

It was the summer of 2017 before his sophomore year of high school.

“At the time, my high school, the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technologies, did not offer many AP courses,” he said. “While this did not prevent me from taking the AP exams, it did put me at a severe disadvantage when it came to preparing for the exams.”

Kumar, of Edison, has joined a growing number of students who are taking advantage taking classes at Middlesex County College (MCC) while still in high school.

“We’ve seen extensive growth over the past three years,” said Kimberlee Hooper, director of K-12 Partnerships at MCC.

The number of high school students taking MCC classes has gone from just un- der 1,800 in 2017-18 to more than 3,100 in 2019-20 – a jump of almost 60%, Hooper Kuzma, the new library director of the East Brunswick Public Library said in a pre- pared statement. “It was so much bigger and grander than my local library; I was so impressed that I still remember it more than 30 years later. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think that I’m now the director of that library.”

The East Brunswick Public Library Board of Trustees announced at its Aug. 18 meeting that Kuzma was appointed library director. Board of Trustees President Deborah Cornavaca described Kuzma as bringing “a unique and divers skill set, combined with years of library experience. Cornavaca added, “She is a great hand-on leader, and she will add to the culture of excellence that we have at East Brunswick Public Library,” according to the statement.“The township is thrilled and exited to welcome Melissa Kuzma as the new library director of East Brunswick Public Library,” Mayor Brad Cohen said in the statement. “As mayor and a member of the Library Board of Trustees, I am sure that she will reach out to the greater East Brunswick community and enhance the quality of services, and programs provided in, what I believe, is the best public library in New Jersey.”

“Melissa’s strong commitment to lisaid.

Hooper said she believes two major factors play are role in the growth.

“First, school districts are organizing and promoting options for their students better, making sure they understand they have numerous post-high school choices,” she said.

For example, some students would be best served by earning a certificate in a short amount of time, and then going into the workforce. For others, a two-year de- gree that leads to a job is most appropriate, and for others, a two-year degree and then braries will serve her well as we look to redefine the role of a library in ways that continue to keep it at the core of our 21st century East Brunswick community,” Co- hen said in the statement.

Kuzma first joined the East Brunswck Public Library as assistant director in 2016, but she has spent most of her ca- reer working in libraries, according to the statement. After graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in history, she worked at New York Public Library as a librarian trainee.

“I just fell in love with it. I was always a library user and a big reader; my mom is also a librarian, so it’s kind of in my blood,” she said in the statement.

Kuzma earned her Masters in Library Sciences at Rutgers University, and she worked at New York Public Library and West Orange Public Library as a librarian.

Her career path eventually took her out of the library, working for companies that serve public, academic and corporate libraries as a project manager for Baker & Taylor and as a product manager for R. R. Bowker.

“Working on that side of the information services industry really gave me an education on the business side of libraries,” Kuzma said in the statement.

She also worked as the Summit Hous(Continued on page 10)

Middlesex County College sees rise in number of high school students taking college courses

By KATHY CHANG

Staff Writer

In an effort to prepare himself for Ad-

ing Authority’s deputy executive director. transferring to a four-year school is the right path, Hooper said.

“That’s where we come in because of our flexibility and low cost,” she said, noting that is the second factor. “High school students can take a three or four credit class for $125, including tuition and fees. Parents love that they can save literally thousands of dollars by having their kids take classes that will transfer to a four-year institution.”

Other advantages include allowing students to get used to the college experi(Continued on page 9)