"I had a dream, where I was standing in the middle of a circle with people of diverse creeds and cultures standing around me, holding out their hands and reaching out in my direction,” Professor Romero Scott said. “I had my mentor at the time decipher the meaning of this dream, and he said that it was a premonition of the career path that I would take, touching many different types of cultures and people as I do as a psychology professor today.” 

As a young boy, Scott emigrated from Jamaica to the United States. Besides the obvious change of home, culture, and society, Scott also had to endure the splitting up of his family (as his father chose to remain in Jamaica) and live through the effects of this distressing life event.

“I always planned to become a [medical] doctor,” Scott said. “But after coming to the United States I became very interested in human relationships and interaction. This led to my career in psychology.”

Scott’s family strived for success. This drove Scott to achieve great things, which he did during his post secondary education.

After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Arkansas, Scott went on to Fordham University for his graduate studies and to The New School for his PhD.

After Scott’s final four years of psychoanalytical education and training, he became a therapist. With this degree, Scott held various nine-to-five jobs while working part-time as a graduate school professor at New York University.

“It was a frightening experience,” Scott said, in reference to the hectic and overloaded schedule that he used to have.

Scott became a full time professor at St. John’s University. His hard work and expertise has not gone unnoticed as can be seen from the recognition that Scott recently received along with some of his colleagues for completing 25 years of full time teaching at St. John’s. 

“Being a person who has human interest as a motivating force, I decided to take up an occupation where I had more human contact [than as a therapist], thus I became a professor,” said Scott.

Through his life experiences, Scott said he uses the following maxim as a guide: “The quality of a man is known by the specificity of his words and language, to practice faith, whole charity, and love.”  Through the application of this maxim in his daily life Scott has come to be a mentor, advisor, and to some degree, a healer to the students that adhere to his advice.

“I have seen students make full transformations from following my teachings,” Scott said.

Many can attest to Scott’s ability and gift of guidance. Chris Sarmiento, a senior Criminal Justice major, has partaken in Scott’s class twice because of his intellect and ability to get his message across by applying the text to real life.

“I admire him, I really do,” Sarmiento said. “He shows more interest in a student’s educational progress. He has a contagious enthusiasm that makes students want to learn.”

As a man who practices faith, charity, and love, his students have received guidance.

Sarmiento couldn’t have agreed more. “There was always something new I learned in his class. He was very open minded and understanding.”