After decades of lived experiences, Tami Foy knows how difficult it is sometimes to overcome obstacles and maintain resilience. Those experiences now motivate her to help thousands of students striving to better their lives.
Born in 1961, Foy came to San Diego at 14 with her family. She grew up wanting to be a neurosurgeon, but dropped out of college at 18 to marry.
She and her husband had four children during the next six years. Her marriage, however, turned into a nightmare when her husband became abusive.
“He would yell and scream the first few years,” Foy recalled. “Then he turned violent. He would have a burst of anger and beat me up, giving me black eyes and a swollen face. The breaking point was when he said he was going to kill me. I went to the local police station shaking because I had never stood up to him.”
With help from the police, Foy gathered the four children and left. Working as an administrative assistant, she rented a house in Oceanside and later filed for divorce.
But he would not let go. He stalked her and eventually put a loaded gun to her head in front of the children and pulled the trigger. When the gun jammed, he hit her in the face with it.
Her ex-husband, who passed away in 2023, was convicted of attempted murder and sent to prison.
Foy raised the four children, ages 6, 8,10 and 12, as a single parent. She also continued working full time as an administrative assistant and pursued her education.
“I worked eight hours a day during the week and 12 hours on the weekend,” she said. “I was the only bread winner, and we needed the money.
“I would get up at 4:45 a.m., make breakfast, pack their lunches and get them ready for school. My days ended around 10 p.m.
“It was overwhelming and emotional. I cried often. We all went to counseling after the gun incident.”
Nevertheless, Foy went on to become the first in her family to graduate college. And, she earned a master’s degree in administration and doctorate in education.
Today, all four children are in their 40s and gainfully employed. Three have college degrees and are married. At 64, Foy is a proud grandmother.
As for her career, after decades working in academic administration and stints teaching at various colleges, in 2023 she became CEO and executive director of San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation
With 26,000 students at seven San Diego locations, it is one of the nation’s largest non-credit colleges.
“I feel when seeing our students that many are a reflection of me,” Foy said. “We help people change their lives by removing barriers, but it’s up to them to do the work.”
The college offers tuition-free training and development of skills in fields ranging from construction — including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and welding — to automotive technology, nursing and others.
Although it does not offer formal degrees, other colleges may grant credits toward degrees for some classes. Moreover, its training frequently satisfies prerequisites for obtaining licenses, and the college administers certification tests.
Foy’s role leading the foundation allows her to take on a variety of jobs. In addition to raising funds from public and private sources, she serves on the college president’s policy board.
She is able to take a personal interest in the students and often arranges financial assistance through private donations to the foundation.
“We want to help students remove every barrier to achievement,” she said. “We pay fees for exams, have helped with child care, transportation and even housing when we can.”
She cited an example of helping a previously homeless mother and her children with a rental deposit for an apartment. After obtaining an education at the college, the mother is now employed and supporting herself.
Helping students overcome obstacles and get a useful education is special for Foy given her experiences. “When I show up here,” she said, “it’s not work.”
About this series
Goldsmith is a Union-Tribune contributing columnist.
We welcome reader suggestions of people who have done something extraordinary or otherwise educational, inspiring or interesting and who have not received much previous media. Please send suggestions to Jan Goldsmith at jgsandiego@yahoo.com