What CTD Means

CTD Staff members describe their passion for the program—and that of students and parents

By Ed Finkel

Innovative. Engaging. Exciting. Challenging. Fun.

These are just a handful of the words that staff members at the Center for Talent Development use to describe their work and impact of the program on students and their families.

“Seeing our staff provide challenging and engaging experiences for students—and seeing our students delight in those experiences—is a privilege,” says Kate Cichon, coordinator of academic year advanced enrichment programs. “I lost count (years ago) of the number of times a teacher or teaching assistant has raved about their class—not just an individual student within it, but the entire class. Similarly, I hear from countless parents each year about how much their students enjoy time in our classes and with the activities our teachers implement.”

To Susan Corwith, associate director, what makes CTD most exciting is the sharp focus on students’ strengths and interests, which helps them dream about the future—and plan for it. “Everything we do is aimed at bringing young people together around subjects and issues they care about (or want to explore) and helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to reach their goals,” she says. This is a commitment that has been in place since the day CTD opened its doors in 1982.

CTD is uniquely qualified to support academically talented students, reflects Amy Lindgren, assistant coordinator – team lead, academic year advancement enrichment programs. “We develop hands-on, cutting-edge courses for students to think deeply about the world and give them learning opportunities they would not get in their regular Monday to Friday schools,” she says. “As a past CTD instructor, TA and family participant, I appreciate firsthand the value of the CTD mission, and the opportunities it offers students.”

Beth Dirkes, assistant coordinator and team lead for academic year online programs and pre-K to 5th grade summer programs, online and in-person, particularly cherishes the fact that CTD empowers students and their parents to seek out and ask for what they deserve. “When students and parents have had a taste of CTD programs, it sets a new standard for them, and they approach future experiences with higher expectations,” she says.

Both CTD staff and students are among the most passionate, focused, creative people that Ruth Doan, coordinator of academic programs and team leader for summer programs, grades 9-12, has “ever had the privilege to meet,” she says. “I am always improved by, and have the feeling that I am also improving, the lives of the people I meet at CTD.”

The content and level of intrigue generated by CTD classes stay with students and their families, says Tammie Stewart, outreach manager, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars. “I love when I meet a family, and their children are excited to tell me about a program they took with us a year ago,” she says. “Not only do they remember the class they took, but they remember the feeling of it, and they are eager to take another one.”

Talent development requires challenge and support, and every member of the CTD staff is committed to providing both for the students, their families, and educators, and for themselves. They are passionate about the work they do and appreciate the power it has to impact the future for the better. Learn more about CTD staff members—both program staff and permanent team members—through our blog posts and our 40th anniversary website, which will launch at the end of May. If you have a staff story to share, send it to ctd@northwestern.edu.