New Kid on the Block

Apart from the hundreds upon hundreds of newly enrolled students to Fullerton College, one prominent position has just recently received a new face: that of Dr. Rajen Vurdien serving as president.

Father of two, avid jogger, addicted crossword puzzle solver and senior chess player, Dr. Vurdien seems to fit the archetypal presidential mold quite well.

However, when given the opportunity to speak with him, one finds a man that stands for much more than an administrative figure and a man worthy to have leading our campus and students with his diligence and passion.

Dr. Vurdien hails from Mauritius, a twenty-eight by thirty-eight mile long, island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, once under European colonial rule and now, as noted by Dr. Vurdien, "one of the most advanced countries in the African block of nations."

He had engrained in him by his parents the importance of education and its ability to excel one far in life. He shared that "I had always wanted to travel abroad and get a good education, but I didn't know if that would be possible or not."

By American standards, the living conditions of his childhood would prove burdensome with a family of six sharing a home with just one or two bedrooms, no public sewer system and limited access to water. For a young boy who knew little of the outside world, all of this brought comfort and would only stir a deep fervor to strive for more.

Then at age 10, an issue of National Geographic in the public library with an article about beaches in Oregon, Dr. Vurdien uttered to himself, "One day I will have to go there." Evidently, the possibility came to fruition.

"You have to work hard for whatever you aspire for," Vurdien said in regards to what encourages him past hurdles and challenges. "Nothing happens by luck. No matter how difficult, I always consider the situation as a blessing in disguise. If you don't get it, you do not despair."

His life has been marked by challenging choices and circumstances from the heritage of his family being brought from India to Mauritius as indentured laborers, a system similar to slavery by both the French and the British, to the similar challenge students face today, job security.

By simply building his self efficacy, giving merit to his actions, Dr. Vurdien advanced from the miniscule chance of receiving higher education to the opportunity of leading a community of students striving for that very education.

This new kid on the block has many traits necessary for an over-crowded college institution filled with despairing students to move forward towards excellence. Dr. Vurdien has lived by this standard and now calls us to do the same: "You should never wait for tomorrow. Never put off tomorrow what you can do today."

Welcome Dr. Rajen Vurdien and maybe we can see your chess skills put to battle soon.