A SMALL- TOWN GIRL WHO BAGGED A BIG DREAM
NANCY HURTZ – SOYKA ’71
You may have heard the joke that asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The punch line: “Practice, practice, practice.” So how do you get a job at the United Nations? The answer is moxie, which perfectly describes Nancy Hurtz-Soyka ’71. She took the first step in what was to be a brilliant career the day after receiving her Caldwell diploma.
As an undergraduate majoring in French and education, Hurtz-Soyka had big dreams. So it was no surprise to anyone who knew her that she walked right into the U.N.—security issues weren’t omnipresent in 1971—completed an employment application and was hired to be an evaluator in human resources. The view from the 33rd floor was spectacular, and she spent her days welcoming prospective employees, reviewing employment applications and verifying visas.
Her career at the U.N., which unfolded over many years, saw her serve in management and professional roles in human resources, general services and finance, overseeing the operation of multiple integral office locations. She also transferred for a stint at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, living in Paris for a year. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from New York University while working full time. She was one of the first candidates to take the U.N. career exam, scoring at the highest level.
When she and her husband, Edward, started their family, Hurtz-Soyka continued her ambitious career trajectory. After making an early morning commute into Manhattan, she would leave her children at the U.N. day care center; later in the day, she would see them for lunch in the nursery. Having a supportive husband, she says, was key. She worked in the office, often until 7 p.m. Her husband would drive into the city, and they would have dinner with their children in the cafeteria, after which he would take the children home.
At the pinnacle of her career with the U.N., Hurtz-Soyka served in several capacities, reporting to a number of secretaries-general, including the renowned Kofi Annan of Ghana. Among her responsibilities was crafting presentations for Annan to make to world leaders at the General Assembly. She traveled internationally and met a dazzling array of world leaders and dignitaries, including Pope John Paul II, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the king of Sweden. Due to the U.N.’s mandatory retirement age, she resigned as director of the United Nations Ethics Office. She was recently elected to the U.N.’s Governing Board of Retirees.
Once she left the U.N., Hurtz-Soyka’s love of teaching blossomed. She earned a TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Advanced Certificate for English Teaching English at Montclair State University and taught there. At Bloomfield College, she oversaw the language curriculum developed for Chinese and Korean students. She joined Berlitz, the language education and leadership training corporation, serving as a director for five years and heading up the company’s language school in Northern New Jersey. She has taught French classes at the Wayne Adult School and currently teaches adults at the Morris County School of Technology.
While at the U.N., Hurtz-Soyka interviewed for a position with the FBI, passing the first part of the exam but finding the basic training requirement daunting. This alumna is never bored and always busy. Despite that, she always makes time for her husband, three adult children, two grandchildren and wide-ranging interests that include culture, politics, literature, cooking, education and travel. Hurtz-Soyka has spent her life in the small town of Wyckoff and lives just minutes from her childhood home.
Deeply grateful for her Caldwell education, she has kept close ties with classmates and has volunteered on the Veritas committee for five years. Asked what Caldwell means in her life, she responds, “Caldwell gave me what I needed to live a life I could never have imagined.”
—Christina Hall
