When Sue Krimm first set foot onto Pierce College’s sun-scorched grounds in August 1980, it felt more like a farm than a college campus. A handful of buildings sat scattered across open land, the air shimmered with heat and any hope for air conditioning was wishful thinking. As she walked down the grounds with the dean, one question burned hotter than the LA sun, “Your classrooms are air conditioned right?”
The sweltering heat didn’t stop Krimm from dedicating over more than four decades to the college, and becoming Pierce’s longest serving faculty member.
Now, as she prepares for retirement, Krimm reflects on her years teaching on campus.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God what did I get myself into here?’” Krimm said. “But this is where I wanted to be”.
Over the years she developed a reputation for looking beyond the problem and focusing on the long-term impact of her decisions, especially when it came to her students.
“She always tries to improve and find better ways to make classes go beyond the classroom”, Computer Science Department Chair Natalia Grigoriants said. “Whatever situation might arise, she thinks about the long-term ramifications for students.”
One of Krimm’s many contributions was reorganizing the department’s Introduction to Computers class, a requirement for many transfer students.
The course was outdated, according to Grigoriants, and Krimm reshaped the curriculum to include real life applications, such as using Excel to create spreadsheets for budgeting and calculating loans.
“And to make it easier for adjuncts teaching it, she helped create a full lecture presentation and found web-based software that gave students instant feedback,” Grigoriants said. “Something totally new at the time.”
Krimm’s most rewarding moments came from getting to know and connecting with her students on a deeper level, especially students whose stories weren’t visible in the classroom.
“I had a lady in my class who was from China,” she said. “She was such a standout, and finally, I couldn’t take it. I asked her to come to my office and tell me about her background.”
The student shared that she came to the U.S. to get a Ph.D. in biology at USC, even though she knew she didn’t want to pursue research. After earning her doctorate, she ended up in Krimm’s class.
“She was sitting in there with 18 year olds, and here she was with a Ph.D.,” Krimm said. “I told her to not ask me for a letter of recommendation unless she applied to companies where they’d see her as a biologist who can also program. It would’ve been a waste to throw all that education away.”
The student took her advice and secured a job that allowed her to blend both skills and advance in her field.
“That’s the fun stuff that used to happen,” Krimm said. “When you could spot those standouts and help them find their way.”
After nearly 50 years in education, Krimm says it simply feels like it’s the right time to retire.
“Regardless of whether the kids have changed or the environment has changed, at a certain point, you just say okay, enough is enough.”
Her husband, Fred Krimm, acknowledged his wife’s accomplishments and impact in the department.
“I’m very proud of her, and what she has accomplished,” he said. “I think she has probably earned a reputation as one of the best teachers in school and she’s been able to generate a change.”
Although she’s not yet certain what retirement may look like, she’s eager to discover new opportunities.
“I don’t know what the next phase will be,” she said. “I think it’ll turn out to be fun, but I have to find a volunteer activity that I really like and where they value the skills I have, but I’ll find it“.
Sue Krimm knows it will take time to discover new activities, but she’s ready to face the unknown with the same determination she brought to her teaching.
