‘We’re all Timberwolves’

Samantha Whay-Jenkins built a career around education and was honored by the Queen of England as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her service to education and promotion of British business. The 58-year-old United Kingdom native has lived and worked in Spain, Panama and Qatar in education leadership and human resources support and consultancy. But despite her considerable successes, Whay-Jenkins never earned a college degree.

“I went to university for a year, dropped out and went right to work,” she said.

After establishing a British school in Panama, she arrived in Qatar and was tasked with developing a relationship between Durham School and SUNY Adirondack.

As the school and college were preparing to offer courses in live, interactive classrooms, WhayJenkins was asked to attend classes to help students transition successfully into the program.

“Because I was going to be in all the classes, they said, ‘You might as well sign up as well; you’re going to be attending all the classes, you might as well get the credits,’” she said.

“It has been a real challenge juggling a full-time job and studying.”

Whay-Jenkins is SUNY Adirondack’s first graduate from its program in Qatar and, as such, spoke at Commencement 2022 at Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls.

“[The students in Qatar] feel they’re part of the college and they do feel like Timberwolves,” she said.

WHAT: Engineering, Computer Science and Calculus lab, an informal meeting space for students taking advanced courses in mathematics

WHERE: Dearlove, Room 126

WHY: Students taking advanced mathematics courses gather to work collaboratively, study, do homework and, when needed, ask faculty members for help.