The Story of Nancy Silvestro, Trading Wall Street for the Classroom by Diane Wikow

In a quiet corner of PCCC, past the cafeteria and the traveling art gallery with its many twists and turns, lies an office that has been home to Professor Silvestro for decades. But the path that led her here was anything but a straight line.

Her story did not begin with the goal of becoming a college professor, but in the world of finance. After earning an Associate’s degree in Secretarial Science from Bergen Community College and a Bachelor’s in English from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Silvestro found herself on Wall Street. By age 22, she was the Executive Secretary in a finance company, pursuing a “Park Avenue life” that many would consider the start of an exciting career. But for Silvestro, something felt off. It finally clicked when a friend suggested she become an ESL professor to help improve the lives of non‑English speakers in the United States.

Driven by a desire to help others, she moved back in with her mother and returned to college, earning a Master’s in TESOL from Columbia University in 1982. A chance encounter at an English‑language teachers conference in Hawaii opened the door for her to travel to Hamamatsu City, Japan. There, she taught English at the Four Seasons Language School, working with students ranging from eager children to professional test drivers in Suzuki’s motorcycle division.

In 1985, she returned from Japan and settled at Passaic County Community College. For 33 years, she has dedicated her life to ESL students, providing non‑native speakers with the tools they need to navigate their lives in the United States. In August 2019, she became the Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. Her role includes building the Teaching and Learning Center at PCCC, teaching College Success for English Language Learners, and serving as the Campus Co‑Leader for the Achieving the Dream and Guided Pathways initiatives. She also serves as the Project Director of the Title V Pathways to Teacher Certification grant and the Co‑Director of the Title V Path2College grant.

Now, in what will be her final semester before retirement, Professor Silvestro is preparing to close a remarkable chapter of her life. When asked to reflect on her career and the impact she’s had on generations of students, she smiled and said, “You don’t do it for the money and you don’t do it for the prestige. You do it because you want to help people who are new to this country, and you want to give them a chance for a better future.

Her impact has reached far beyond the classroom. From presenting at national conferences for the Achieving the Dream Network to receiving the 2021 Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished College Administrator Award for her work on course navigation, Professor Silvestro is living proof that the best profession isn’t always the one with the best view of lower Manhattan. It’s the one where you feel at home, making a positive impact on the lives of others.

“Follow your plan and follow it with your heart,” Silvestro concluded. “When things don’t go as planned, don’t keep the original plan. Take a step back, reassess it, gather your thoughts, make a new plan, and keep going forward.”