Dr. Eve Remsen Sachs – When Opportunity Knocks, First Say a Prayer and Then Just Say “Yes”!
Dr. Eve Remsen Sachs has spent her lifetime saying yes to daunting and challenging but always exhilarating and transformative opportunities. Most recently, she was recruited to return to Rutgers in October 2007 to coordinate the launching of the Rutgers Future Scholars Program by May 2008! There are now 1400 bright and deserving Scholars in grades seven to sophomore year of college who, though successful participation in rigorous RFS college preparation have earned guaranteed Rutgers tuition scholarships.
Growing up in the South with an attorney grandfather who represented African American defendants, Dr. Sachs was deeply affected and angered by institutionalized racism that launched the civil rights movement. In college, she committed herself to activism taking part in off-times risky demonstrations (father kept bail money at the ready). In response to President Kennedy’s call to serve, she applied to the US Peace Corps and received an invitation letter from the Director, Sargent Shriver. In spite of great trepidation, given prevalent stereotypes and misconceptions, she accepted her assignment to spend two years in Liberia, West Africa as an elementary teacher and community developer. As per the motto, “The Peace Corps is the toughest job you’ll ever love” these proved to be most rewarding and revelatory years and set the course for her future.
Upon returning from Africa, Dr. Sachs spent the next two years working in a variety of anti-poverty programs as GED teacher with high school dropouts in NYC and Co-Director for Adult Education programs for migrant workers in NJ. She pursued graduate work at the New School for Social Research ultimately earning her Doctoral Degree at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
Inspired by the creation of NJ Educational Opportunity Programs, in 1972, Dr. Sachs applied to Rutgers College where she began as a counselor but within two years, the EOF Advisory Board asked her to accept the crucial position of Director. For the next twenty-five years, Dr. Sachs served as EOF Director, Associate Dean of Rutgers College and, over that period, the program grew to an enrollment of 800, the second largest out of 56 EOF programs in NJ with “exemplary” retention ratings.
While at Rutgers, Dr. Sachs was asked by President Bloustein to serve as Executive Director to create and implement the year long major retrospective commemoration of the 20th anniversary of NJ’s EOF program and minority student’s admissions to Rutgers. Among the highly successful events was a major colloquium with the participation of the US Secretary of Education, creation of an accredited course “Race Relations at Rutgers” by then Professor Richard L. McCormick and the publication of “The Black Students Movement at Rutgers” by Professor Emeritus Richard P. McCormick, the awarding of four university Honorary Degrees among whom was Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor and sold-out EOF alumni fund raising galas and a theatrical production of “Paul Robeson” staring RU Professor Avery Brooks.
In 1992, on a leave from Rutgers, Dr. Sachs was appointed by the NJ Department of Education as the Statewide Coordinator for Academic Alliances with the goal of joining higher education faculty with elementary and secondary teachers to improve pedagogy, curricula and professional development. The outcome was the creation of fifty-eight alliances throughout 15 NJ counties an accomplishment for which Dr. Sachs was presented with an award for leadership in forming “Collaborations Between Schools and Colleges” by the American Association of Higher Education.”
After retiring from Rutgers in 1997, Dr. Sachs was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Educational Consulting Associates and, in that capacity was recruited to say “yes” to another thrilling yet imposing opportunity which was to serve as the Deputy Director of an International School in Cairo Egypt. Within two years the Future American School was established with an enrollment of 360 Egyptian children in grades K-12 and Dr. Sachs also assured that all criteria were met to earn international accreditation.
Throughout her exciting, challenging, enriching career, Dr. Sachs has been recognized with a variety of awards, but she feels most blessed, honored and appreciative to be among the 2014 inductees into the Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance. Home at last!