MICHAEL DULAY -
PAYING IT FORWARD FOR 23 YEARS

Michael Dulay
Social Sciences Division Chair

A 30-year relationship with Glendale Community College (GCC) as both a student and a member of the faculty has provided Social Sciences Division Chair Michael Dulay with enough evidence to know one thing for certain: GCC changes lives. When he enrolled at GCC as a delinquent youth with a tenth grade education, he knew he was ready to build a better life. Though the first few years proved rocky, he was always encouraged to keep going.

Once after earning a ‘D’ on a philosophy exam, Dulay pondered giving up when a deep voice and a hand on his shoulder startled him.

“This kind man in a pressed shirt and tie stopped to ask how I was doing,” he recalled. “He offered some advice that seemed like an abbreviated sermon, then walked into the administration building now named for him.”

John Davitt’s words helped him to collect himself and keep going. Dulay went on to earn two master’s degrees and returned to GCC in a professional capacity.

For 23 years as a faculty member, Dulay has found countless ways to pay forward the kind encouragement Davitt demonstrated that day. That gentleness continues to influence his work amid a pandemic as he interacts with both students and faculty alike as the division chair for Social Sciences. He understands the human response to this global tragedy is best summed up as grief, so he keeps the stages of grief (acceptance, denial, depression, anger and bargaining) in mind as he engages with a grieving campus community.

“In the classroom or in faculty meetings, it is important to use this model to provide support for everyone at the college affected by the pandemic,” he said.

“We came together in response to a shared crisis. It brings me pure joy to be a part of this effort, and to be one of the people who make up our college. There are few things better in life.”

Utilizing distance learning and collaborative platforms like Pronto, Padlet and Perusall, Dulay advocates connection with students as the primary navigation through grief.

“Connection helps with resilience,” he insisted. In spite of this difficult year, he says that he feels surrounded by hope at GCC.

“The people who make up our college have long been willing to share their time and effort to help shepherd our college through anything,” he explained. “We came together in response to a shared crisis. It brings me pure joy to be a part of this effort, and to be one of the people who
make up our college. There are few things better in life.”