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The First Gentleman of The Sage Colleges: Mr. Allan Stern
Photo Credit: Allen Stern
Mister Allan Stern on his Ducati.
Written by Veronica Nunes, Senior Writer
You may have seen him alongside President Scrimshaw at college-wide events, in the gym, or even at Class Night. But how well do you really know Mr. Allan Stern, the president’s husband and school’s first gentleman?
Allan Stern and his wife, Dr. Susan Scrimshaw first came to Russell Sage in July, 2008. He immediately connected with the students and shows his love for Sage by going to sports events and other events on campus. He loves being right on campus amongst the students, and he enjoys interacting with both the students and faculty on a daily basis. It didn’t take long for Allan to find his place in the Russell Sage community. The students here thoroughly enjoy Allan’s presence. Erin Menzer, president of E-Board states “He is a great asset to Russell Sage. He is more than the President’s husband–he is a friend.”
Allan grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He attended Williams College, majoring in Political Science. After completing his BA Degree, he went into the Peace Corps and worked in Sierra Leone, West Africa. There, he trained teachers in math and science and also taught French. He fell in love with teaching and upon returning to the United States after two years with the Peace Corps, went on to earn his Masters degree in Teaching at the University of Chicago. He taught for 22 years in Chicago, beginning with Math and Social Studies, then moved into training teachers in computer technology. In 1994 he moved to a private school to be the tech coordinator.
In 2000, Allan hit a road block in his life when his father passed away. With that life-changing event, he reevaluated where he was in his own life, and realized that he needed to do something he had never done before. He and his son, then 24, decided to fly to Italy and buy Ducati motorcycles. They traveled for 5 months on their bikes and explored all over Europe. Allan kept a journal of his travels. In his writing he stated, “friends have called it an ‘adventure’ or ‘the trip of a lifetime’ or ‘a flight from reality.” “It’s been all of that — and more.”
Along with Europe, Allan has traveled the United States on his motorcycle. He describes the feeling as “liberating” and that “it involves complete concentration. It is mentally exhausting when you are done riding.”
In 2001 on Easter Sunday, Allan met Susan Scrimshaw at church in Chicago. They hit it off right away- having many common interests such as traveling and education (Susan at the time was the dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago). In 2006 they were married.
Along with riding his Ducati motorcycle (Susan is learning to ride also!), his other passions include digital photography (which he is currently taking a course in at SCA), history, and singing. He thoroughly enjoys listening to music, especially big band jazz, as well as playing the clarinet, sax, and piano.
With all the excitement about the inauguration in October, the soon-to-be First Gentleman has a lot on his plate, such as attending events alongside his wife, supporting her, and even attending his 8 o’clock class on time. But by keeping his focus on those goals, he is ready to be the next First Gentleman of The Sage Colleges.
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October 20th, 2009 at 1:41 am
I know Allan Stern, he has an amazing personality! I love Allan and his wife, Dr. Susan Scrimshaw!
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