Mrs. Corrie's Farewell

Mrs. Corrie’s smile and positive attitude have brightened the days of thousands of John Jay students over her 22 years here. She has greeted countless staff members and students with a simple “Good Morning” that has made many people's days.

Not only does Mrs. Corrie care for the safety of the students and her co-workers at John Jay, but she also cares enough about how their days are going and what is on their minds. She will always take time out of her day to engage in conversations with students, whether it be just saying hello, or having a deep conversation about an issue they may need some advice on. Even if you happened to be roaming the halls, and you walked by her, she would not hesitate to speak to you if you needed someone to confide in. 

Mrs. Corrie has been a role model over the years to many young women and men. Many of these people have cherished the little conversations that they were able to have with her. She makes it a point to show every student she knows, and every student she interacts with that they have a special purpose and that they belong.

Her kindness is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her commendable qualities. Many say that she is trustworthy, generous, and overall a very likable person. She is a very caring and loving person who always looks out for the benefit and well-being of others before her own. 

Mrs. Corrie grew up in Queens, NY, and was able to skip a grade and graduate high school at the age of 16. She met her husband Jimmy in college where she studied management. After college, she went on to work for a bank as a loan analyst. When Mrs. Corrie and her husband had their daughter Jalissa in 1990 she resigned from the bank to be able to stay at home with her two daughters and provide for them the care she believed they needed. The Corries relocated to Wappingers with their now three daughters in search for a better education system as well as better resources in general for their girls, eventually moving to East Fishkill in 2000. 

She went from being a stay-at-home mom to helping around in the kids classroom. These experiences showed her how much she desired to work with older kids. She began working as a substitute teacher for numerous schools in the area including John Jay. 

Mrs Corrie’s involvement in the school community is indescribable. She went from being a substitute teacher to being a monitor, while also being an advisor for many clubs. The one club she is most known for is the Black Student Union. At least once a week you can be sure that you will see Mrs Corrie repping her BSU merch and showing it off for all to see. Mrs Corrie will leave a long-lasting impact on the students who are a part of this cultural club. She helped to create and foster an environment where people of different races could feel safe to express their experiences with racial inequity. 

Although she may fool you with her bright and heartwarming smile, Mrs. Corrie is not afraid to lay down the law. There have been multiple occasions where she has to be the strict adult in BSU when kids are misbehaving. But even then no one thinks of Mrs. Corrie negatively; they all know she has good intentions and only wants what is best for them. 

Mrs. Corrie has also volunteered for numerous years as the scorekeeper for the girls volleyball team and tries her best to come and support the students she has connected with at their sporting events. She is truly dedicated to making sure that her students know that she is there for them and that they will always have a supporter and a fan when she is around. 

Despite having many interactions with hard-to-reach kids who seemed troubled, Mrs. Corrie came back to John Jay year after year chasing her passion to connect with young adults and make a difference in their lives. The majority will say that she has indeed accomplished this goal, and now she can take time to relax and travel the world with her husband as she deserves.