After 18 years at Southern Westchester BOCES, social worker Eileen Yip is set to retire, completing a meaningful career of service defined by one clear conviction: education has the power to transform lives.

From her earliest days as a college student until now, Ms. Yip has embodied that belief, and it has been a driving force in both her life and the lives of her students.

“I came to realize that my life was changed by education,” said Ms. Yip, a native of New York City. “That’s what propelled me to keep doing it."

Ms. Yip was raised in Queens as one of four children of Chinese immigrants. For most of her childhood, the family lived behind her parents’ laundry in Astoria. Her mother’s strong belief in education, along with an open-admissions initiative at City College, helped open the door to a career in social work and education that spanned nearly 50 years.

During her years at City College, Ms. Yip double-majored in education and psychology and became the co-founder of a daycare and summer program in Chinatown that served the children of garment workers. After helping secure a $50,000 grant and partnering with a local church, the program provided safe, low-cost care—often for children who otherwise would have accompanied their parents to work.

The program, Asian Children’s Underground, operated under Ms. Yip’s guidance for two years, beginning with a class of 35 students in the basement of the Church of the Transfiguration. It continued, and was renamed A Place for Kids in 1986; the organization honored Ms. Yip earlier this year for her role as a founder.

“We just did it because of the bravado of an undergraduate thinking you can do it,” she said. “Through perseverance and through passion and through a desire to really do something to help, we did it.”

After earning her degree from Columbia University, Ms. Yip began her career as a social worker for MFY Legal Services, supporting clients facing housing and family issues. But at age 34, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced her battle as a single mother of boys ages 2 and 6. That hardship ultimately led to her career in education—first for 20 years at the Greenburgh Central School District, then the last 18 years at Southern Westchester BOCES.

Ms. Yip’s career with the latter included largely uncharted territory. She had never worked with career and technical education students, and the Center for Career Services did not house a full-time social worker at the time. However, Ms. Yip’s impact on students helped demonstrate the need for that role and led Southern Westchester BOCES to transform its model of support.”

The district recently recognized Ms. Yip at Career Services’ annual Recognition Ceremony. She was also honored by the Board of Education at its annual Retiree Reception.

“Her legacy is one of empowerment, resilience, and unwavering commitment to community,” said Career Services Assistant Principal Phil Donohue. “Through her work, she has opened doors of opportunity for countless young people and uplifted families across generations.”

Ms. Yip, who is also a New York State licensed psychotherapist and substance abuse counselor, made a lasting mark by combining her training into what she deemed a “special niche” on campus.

She has viewed Career Services as a place of refuge and reinvention, urging students who struggled in more traditional settings to embrace the opportunity—as she once did upon enrolling in City College.

“They are giving you a chance here,” she often tells students. “Take the chance and run with it.”

Ms. Yip’s contributions on campus have been numerous, including designing and delivering an annual Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) presentation that draws on her personal experiences.

“What I'm saying to you is that no matter what challenge you have, the thing that you have to do is to get beyond that, find your strengths, keep the hope going,” she tells them.

After this year’s presentation, Ms. Yip was surprised to receive a hand-welded daisy made from nuts and bolts as a heartfelt thank-you from three students in the Welding program.

“Educators have the ability to affect students in every which way,” she said. “For the students to come back and say something about how you’ve changed their lives, you get rewarded every year.”

Upon her retirement, Ms. Yip plans to travel and spend more time with her sons, who are now 40 and 44, respectively—although she acknowledged that leaving education behind is bittersweet.

“Letting go is hard,” she said. “It’s been so much a part of what I’ve become and who I am as an adult, but my career has been extremely rewarding—extremely.”