LaGuardia in the News: November 2019 November 29, 2019
WPIX-TV Online: Brooklyn mother of 3 finishes college
November 27, 2019
Telemundo 47: Aprendiendo a ser papá, primera parte
November 27, 2019
Telemundo 47: La Academia de Padres de CUNY es un programa de 16 semanas enfocado en jóvenes
November 27, 2019
World Journal: 女性企業認證明年時間延長 州參議員法拉盛推申請
November 18, 2019
Noticia Hispanoamericana: Estudiantes activistas defienden DACA
November 12, 2019
Long Island City/Astoria Journal: Plaintiffs in DACA fight talk Supreme Court case
November 11, 2019
Gothamist: Energized In Fight Against Trump, New York Plaintiffs Head to D.C. for Supreme Court’s DACA Hearing
November 11, 2019
KNBC-TV Online: As DACA Ruling Nears, Immigrant Fights for Anti-Deportation Act
November 11, 2019
LNP Online: Mexicano lleva lucha de los “dreamers” a Corte Suprema
November 11, 2019
QueensLatino: LaGuardia College Fighting for DACA and the Rights of Immigrants
November 5, 2019
HipLatina: Why Understanding the Difference Between Racism and Prejudice Is Important
### Three LaGuardians on the Front-Lines Fighting for the Rights of Immigrants November 7, 2019
Three LaGuardians (aka LaGuardia Community College students/graduates), Martin Batalla Vidal, Antonio Alarcon and Ricardo Aca are taking the battle to preserve DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy enacted under President Obama to protect nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA allows these “Dreamers,” as they’re known, to work and go to school in the U.S., and most importantly, shields them from deportation. The current presidential administration has sought to weaken or eliminate DACA.
Martin is lead plaintiff in Department of Homeland Security/McAleenan v. Vidal et al., Antonio is a co-plaintiff, and Ricardo has been working hard alongside them, advocating for immigrant rights through his photography and his work with Make the Road New York.
Just days before the U.S. Supreme Court would hear oral arguments in their case, on November 12, 2019, Martin, Antonio and Ricardo came to LaGuardia to talk about the case, the road it’s taken to get to the Supreme Court, and the importance of their activism work to get the case to the highest court in the nation. They also shared their personal stories as undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and what having DACA has meant for them and their families.
NY1: Incertidumbre y ansiedad entre beneficiarios de DACA: próxima semana audiencia en Corte Suprema sobre el caso
To watch a video of their conversation, visit https://vimeo.com/371736962.
Photos of the event are available on Flickr.
From l to r: Caridad Munoz, Creative Technologist for LaGuardia Community College and Conversation Moderator; Ricardo Aca; Martin Batalla Vidal; LaGuardia Community College Interim President Paul Arcario; and Antonio Alarcon. Photo credit: Kristian Larotta, LaGuardia Community College.
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LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
### Voices of Queensbridge Celebrates History & Residents of
Nation’s Largest Public Housing Development October 16, 2019 
A new book, Voices of Queensbridge: Stories from the Nation’s Largest Public Housing Development, explores the history of Queensbridge Houses and the lives of people who call it home. It’s published by the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives (“the Archives”) at LaGuardia Community College, a repository of mayoral and other municipal records, including the records of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which built and manages Queensbridge. A centerpiece of the book is oral histories of long-time Queensbridge residents, who were interviewed by LaGuardia students.
The publication, made possible through the generous support of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, was celebrated at a recent gathering that included LaGuardia Community College faculty, staff and students, and senior residents and staff of Queensbridge Houses and the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement.  (from l to r): Queensbridge Resident Nellie Pettway; LaGuardia and Wagner Archives Director Richard Lieberman; LaGuardia's Interim Provost Nireata Seals; and LaGuardia's Interim President Paul Arcario
“Our college’s mission is to develop socially responsible citizens to help shape a rapidly evolving society; therefore, it’s critical that our students have opportunities like this to engage with the community in ways that are beneficial for everyone involved. We’re grateful to those who allowed our students to interview them—teaching our students that their voice has value,” said LaGuardia Community College Interim President Paul Arcario. “And as the commitment of the federal government to public housing continues to wane, I hope this book finds the widest readership possible, to combat stereotypes and illustrate the need for affordable places to live.”
“It was a distinct honor to be part of the Voices of Queensbridge project with LaGuardia Community College and the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. The faculty, student interviewers and videographer took such care to present a well-balanced view of life in the Queensbridge Housing Development,” said Gail Brown, Riis’ director of senior services and an integral coordinator for the project.
Amanda Jones, a LaGuardia student who conducted oral interviews with Queensbridge residents said, “This project challenges the preconceived notions of public housing and the people who live there. My fellow students and I didn’t just watch and listen to the residents of Queensbridge, we interacted with them, and in doing so, realized that despite having different backgrounds, we share many commonalities. We related to one each other’s struggles.”  (from l to r): Queensbridge resident Nellie Pettway with LaGuardia and Wagner Archives' Molly Rosner
“This project is about what it means to be a New Yorker. It’s about expanding and strengthening our community. The students learned to connect with neighbors because that’s what makes a city feel like home. And importantly, the stories in Voices of Queensbridge bring life to our NYCHA Collection,” said Molly Rosner, Ph.D., assistant director of education programs for the Archives, who co-edited the book along with Archives historian Stephen Petrus, Ph.D.
Voices of Queensbridge can be viewed and downloaded on the Archives website.
Additional featured content of the Archives can be viewed on the Archives page.
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LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
#### Immigrant & Refugee Students Enrich Campus Life, Strengthen Communities, & Benefit the Economy September 10, 2019
Community colleges serve as a critical gateway for many immigrants and refugees looking to gain an economic foothold in the labor market and integrate into the social fabric of their communities. LaGuardia Community College has a long history of supporting immigrants as they work towards achieving “the American dream” through higher education. LaGuardia’s more than 50,000 students come from nearly 150 countries. Many get their start at LaGuardia in our English language program, the largest such program in New York City. LaGuardia helps immigrants find a job, advance their career, earn their college degree, and become more active in their community.
Now in two chapters of a new book, Dr. Gail O. Mellow, former president of LaGuardia Community College and John Hunt, LaGuardia’s Interim Assistant Dean for Pre-College Academic Programs, share their expertise about developing programs and services to support immigrants. 
The book, Working toward an Equitable and Prosperous Future for All: How Community Colleges and Immigrants Are Changing America, is co-published by Rowman & Littlefield and the American Association of Community Colleges. It examines the role of leadership in adopting institution-wide strategies and allocating resources that have advanced immigrant and refugee integration on campus and in the community.
The Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE) announced the publication earlier this month as part of a showcase of the initiatives of CCCIE member community colleges and their partners working together at local and state levels to integrate immigrants and refugees by helping them further their education, succeed in training programs, and launch new careers in high-demand fields. It joins a companion volume, Working Together: How Community Colleges and Their Partners Help Immigrants Succeed . Together, the two volumes illustrate the various ways immigrant and refugee students enrich campus life, strengthen communities, and benefit the economy.
The two volumes, co-edited by Jill Casner-Lotto, CCCIE director, with Teresita B. Wisell, CCCIE executive director and vice president for workforce development and community education at Westchester Community College, include 23 chapters written by community college educators who serve on CCCIE’s Blue Ribbon Panel and other leading experts and practitioners in the fields of immigrant and refugee education, workforce development, and integration. “The books capture the expertise and dedication of colleagues across the country in community colleges, community agencies, and nonprofit organizations who have joined us in our work. It is through our collective efforts that our immigrant and refugee students have found their success,” notes Wisell.
CCCIE was founded in 2008 and comprises community colleges and other professional organizations committed to building the capacity of colleges to advance immigrant and refugee integration through education and workforce development. CCCIE is hosted and led by Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York.
Discount code RLEGEN19 may be used to receive 20% off the order of either book noted above.
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About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more. Or on Twitter at @LaGuardiaCC.
#### Making Queens Feel Like Home; LaGuardia is Training the Next Generation of Hospitality Professionals June 17, 2019
Last month’s grand opening of the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport was the most anticipated hotel opening in the borough in decades, but Queens is adding new hotel rooms at a fast pace. Today, there’s over 100 hotels in the borough, according to Professor James Giordano.
“Long island City is booming and the airport hotels are doing well,” he told This Is Queensborough during a break from one of his classes. “It’s a major contributor to the borough’s economy in terms of taxes and employment opportunities.”
Read more: Making Queens Feel Like Home
#### In Happy Accident, Stepfather-Son Graduate Together from LaGuardia Community College July 8, 2019
Victor Lopez and Julian Linares (pictured below from left to right at the college's recent commencement) were shocked when they realized they’d both enrolled at LaGuardia in January 2018. They’d always had a good relationship—Victor, age 45, married Julian’s mom, Angela, in 2005. But they never planned to go to college together.
From left to right: Victor Lopez and Julian Linares at Commencement
This fall, Julian, age 22, will start at the renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with much of his tuition covered by a RISD scholarship. He graduated with his associate degree in Industrial Design. He’s pictured below in the college’s FabLab, working on a piece of his design with laser-cut cast acrylic.
Julian in the FabLab at LaGuardia Community College
During their time at LaGuardia, Victor and Julian met for lunch weekly—motivating one another to graduate in 18 months, and studying together for math classes. Through this experience, their bond got much closer.
Victor is a realtor and air force reservist who did four tours in the Middle East. He needed to earn his associate degree in order to qualify for a promotion in the Air Force. LaGuardia was his fourth attempt at higher education, having started at other colleges, but never finishing.
Victor (pictured at below with Julian and Angela) graduated with his associate degree in New Media Technology: Entrepreneurship track, and plans to pursue his bachelor’s through the CUNY Baccalaureate program, next year. Meanwhile, he reports that he's begun applying the learnings he gained through his major to his real estate business, and is already seeing an increase in sales.
From left to right: Julian, Angela, and Victor
• • • •
About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more. Or on Twitter at @LaGuardiaCC.
#### Spotlighting LGBTQ History of Queens July 8, 2019
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives (“Archives”) at LaGuardia Community College is bringing to light the impact of Queens on the LGBTQ rights movement, through an ongoing series of public installations, education programs, and demonstrations. The LGBTQ Public History Project is made possible with generous support from the New York City Council through the office of Daniel Dromm, and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
“Having grown up in Queens, I recall the fear I felt in my youth about revealing my sexuality to friends and even colleagues,” said LaGuardia Community College Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Arcario, Ed.D. “I’m so grateful to Danny Dromm and others, whose brave activism have allowed me to live openly and freely as a gay individual and educator.”
“Most New Yorkers don’t know that Queens was the first outer borough to publicly support gay rights by holding a parade,” said Richard Lieberman, Ph.D., professor of history and director of the Archives. “The history of LGBTQ activism in Queens is an incredible story of activism in the face of tremendous opposition, and it’s important that people know about this legacy, learn from it, and honor it.”
“Queens has its own unique lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history and people should know about it,” said New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm (District 25—Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). “We didn’t just one day wake up and have same sex marriage. It’s been a long struggle for LGBTQ acceptance.”
Queens Pride Exhibit at LaGuardia Airport
In a partnership that would have delighted our shared namesake, former NYC mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Archives staff and students curated an exhibition (see photo below) commemorating Queens' LGBTQ history, which is on display at LaGuardia Airport’s Marine Air Terminal throughout the month of July 2019.
The Collection of Council Member Dromm at the Archives formed the basis of the exhibition. One panel is devoted to PA PRIDE, an initiative of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which collaborated on the exhibition.
Two LaGuardia students interning at LaGuardia Airport helped to put on the exhibition. Srija Rai and Melissa Osoria, both communication studies majors, have been working for the past few months with the airport's community outreach team, engaging with residents living near the airport about the ongoing LGA Redevelopment Program. They’re pictured below next to the statue of Mayor LaGuardia in the rotunda of Marine Air Terminal.
from left to right: Srija Rai; Melissa Osoria)
"This internship helped me find my passion: working with the community. I want to pursue community relations as my career," said Ms. Rai, age 28, who came to LaGuardia after earning her cosmetology license and then finding that she didn't enjoy working in that industry. “Airports are an important part of our community, and through working on this exhibition, I learned that there are opportunities to educate and inform residents and visitors traveling through our airports.”
Ms. Osoria, age 25, moved to the U.S. from Nepal. Last month, she graduated from LaGuardia and plans to pursue a career in broadcasting.
At a recent reception marking its opening, Archives historian Stephen Petrus said, "The venue of this exhibition is entirely fitting. Not only does the LGBTQ community have a long and prominent place in the airline industry, but many individuals who’ve fled persecution in other countries because of their sexual orientation have entered America through our airports."
Shades of the Rainbow: Generation Z
The Archives curated an exhibition, Shades of the Rainbow: Generation Z, to showcase the experiences of LGBTQ students at LaGuardia Community College. Through photography, film, and oral history, the students share intimate stories about coming out in families of different ethnicities, races, and religions. They explore challenging traditional understandings of gender and sexuality in American culture, enduring hardship, and finding love and support from friends, partners, and family members.
The exhibition opened this spring, and is on view now in the College’s E-building, 2nd Floor Atrium, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City, Queens. Members of the public with a valid ID are welcome to visit it during college hours. There is no charge to do so.
For exhibit information, click here.
Photo at left shows LaGuardia student Marcello Riera; credit: LaGuardia student Anthony Daley. Photo at right, with rainbow flag, shows LaGuardia student Joshua Lobato; credit: LaGuardia student Luisa Madrid.
Queens Pride Parade
Last month, Dr. Lieberman and the Archives led faculty, staff and students from the five CUNY campuses in Queens ( Queens College; York College; CUNY Law School; Queensborough Community College; and LaGuardia Community College) that marched under a CUNY banner (see photo at right) at the 2019 Queens Pride Parade. With 200 participants, CUNY Queens was the largest group in the parade! Click here to watch a short video about it.
The first Queens Pride Parade was held in 1993. It was organized by the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee, Inc., which Daniel Dromm co-founded, following a series of anti-gay incidents that included the brutal murder of Julio Rivera, and controversy over references to same-sex couples in the Children of the Rainbow Curriculum.
“The anti-gay murder of Julio Rivera and the battle over the Children of the Rainbow Curriculum are Queens’ equivalent of the Stonewall Rebellion,” said Council Member Dromm.
Lavender Line: Coming Out in Queens
A multimedia exhibition, the Lavender Line: Coming Out in Queens , about the incidents that sparked the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee, Inc. and the first-ever Queens Pride Parade, was shown throughout 2017-18 at the Queens Museum and at the five CUNY campuses in Queens. It’s now permanently located in the College’s historic Hall of Flags, in Joseph Shenker Hall, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City, Queens). Free and open to members of the public with a valid ID, during college hours.
The exhibition title was selected to celebrate lavender as both a symbol of the original gay liberation movement and the color of the line marking the Queens Pride Parade route along 37th Avenue, from 89th Street to 75th Street, in Jackson Heights.
The Lavender Line exhibition was curated by LaGuardia commercial photography faculty Thierry Gourjon and Javier Larenas, as well as by LaGuardia student scholars and faculty, drawing largely from Dromm Collection. It includes photographs taken by LaGuardia students.
City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer (District 26—Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside) contributed materials from his personal archives to the Lavender Line exhibition. Van Bramer marched in the first-ever Queens Pride Parade as a St John’s University student, and has been recognized for his work encouraging members of the LGBTQ community to stand proud, and for raising awareness of the AIDS epidemic and bias crimes.
“For far too long, the stories, experiences, trials, and victories of the LGBTQ movement in our country and in Queens have often gone untold,” said Council Member Van Bramer. “The history of the LGBTQ movement in Queens is a deeply human story of ordinary people fighting for the right to openly and freely love without fear.”
The LGBTQ Collection
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives has created The LGTBQ Collection to illuminate Queens LGBTQ history and activism.
The bulk of the LGBTQ Collection comes from the Dromm Collection and from the papers of the Honorable Thomas K. Duane, former New York State Senator. The Senator Thomas Duane LGBTQ Collection consists of two series: the Gay Literature Series, which consists mainly of issues of the Christopher Magazine from 1976 to 1993, and the Personal Gay Files Series, which contains documents collected by Senator Duane, before, during and after his time in political office, related to LGBTQ issues.
The LGBTQ Collection is presently being processed, and will be added to the Archives’ online database as documents become available for researchers.
• • • •
About the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, established in 1982, serves as a repository for NYC’s social and political history. Its large collection of New York City mayoral papers include the personal papers and official documents of Mayors Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Robert F. Wagner, Abraham D. Beame and Edward I. Koch. Additional collections include The Council of the City of New York, the New York City Housing Authority, the piano maker Steinway & Sons, and a Queens Local History Collection. Assets from these collections are regularly referenced in news stories, and accessed by researchers and students. Visit LaGuardia and Wagner Archives website to learn more.
About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more. Or on Twitter at @LaGuardiaCC.
About the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, primarily supports the study of New York State history. Robert David Lion Gardiner was, until his death in August 2004, the 16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner’s Island, NY. The Gardiner family and their descendants have owned Gardiner’s Island since 1639, obtained as part of a royal grant from King Charles I of England. The Foundation is inspired by Robert David Lion Gardiner’s personal passion for New York history. The purpose of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is:
• To educate and inform the general public in the State of New York, particularly in the area of the Town of Islip and more generally in Suffolk County, concerning the culture, art and tradition of the locality;
• To cultivate, foster and promote interest in, and understanding and appreciation of the societal heritage of Town of Islip, particularly during the nineteenth century;
• To encourage and sponsor the creation and perpetuation by existing and future historical societies of collections and repositories for the deposit, collection and examination of documents and artifacts of various kinds relevant to such heritage and traditions; and
• To sponsor and encourage the preservation, restoration and exhibition by existing and future historical societies of at least one facility appropriate to such purpose.
#### LaGuardia Community College President Delivers Her Final Commencement Address & Confers Nearly 2,000 Associate Degrees June 13, 2019
View/Download Commencement 2019 Photos
LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow today presided over her final commencement for the college. She will step down in August after 19 years as LaGuardia’s president. Associate degrees were conferred to nearly 2,000 graduates at the college’s 47th Commencement.
“Presiding over the granting of associate degrees each year for the past 19 years has been an absolute privilege. These degrees represent the culmination of an incredible amount of work, dedication, and juggling for our students, many of whom work, are parents of young children or have other family responsibilities, or are recent immigrants seeking a better life in the U.S. It’s also a celebration for our dedicated and creative faculty and staff, who provide high-quality education, as well as guidance and support to our students.
“Knowing that this was my last commencement as LaGuardia’s president, a role that has been the honor of my lifetime, has been bittersweet. Just like today’s graduates, I’m looking towards the next phase of my life with excitement and trepidation. One certainty is that each June, I’ll be thinking about LaGuardia and its newest graduates with pride,” said Dr. Mellow.
With nearly 2,000 participating in today’s commencement exercises at Barclays Center, this was LaGuardia’s largest graduating class to date. Reflecting the college’s diverse student body, more than 20 percent of today’s graduates are age 30 or older, and 25 percent are between the ages of 25 and 29. Students who identify as Hispanic remain the largest ethnic group, at 45 percent. Sixty-two percent live in Queens; 16 percent in Brooklyn, and 10 percent in The Bronx.
Graduates earned an associate degree in one of more than 60 majors including creative writing, nursing, mechanical engineering, industrial design, fine arts, paralegal studies, and more. The top three majors of the Class of 2019 were business administration, liberal arts: social science and humanities, and liberal arts: mathematics and science.
Aida Akim-Escriva, LaGuardia’15, represented LaGuardia alumni in a speech to the graduates. Ms. Akim-Escriva spent her childhood in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, before moving to New York City a decade ago to pursue a college degree that would enable her to advocate for the rights of women around the world. She earned her associate degree in journalism, and her bachelor’s from Amherst College, which she attended on a full scholarship. Today she works in fundraising for the Global Fund for Women.
She urged today’s graduates to speak up and be bold as they move forward in their journeys. “Remember all the doors that were closed before you? With graduation, many of them will now open for you.” But she reminded graduates that some barriers will remain, “Society does not yet know the full potential of a community college student and graduate. Knock on the doors that are closed. Teach them that graduating from a community college takes determination and resilience. Teach them that a person who held a job to support their family while gaining a degree is capable of great things. You might be the first community college graduate they hire, but you will not be the last once you pave the way for all those yet to come.”
Kishauna Givans, age 30, received her associate degree in Therapeutic Recreation and represented the Class of 2019 in a speech in which she shared her personal story about moving to the U.S. from Jamaica to seek medical attention for a mysterious illness that caused her to be paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors predicted that she’d be paralyzed for the rest of her life. Thankfully, she’s recovered, and with a lot of hard work, she’s regained most of her mobility. Although her doctors still don’t know what caused her paralysis or if it could return.
Ms. Givans reminded her fellow graduates to be proud of the obstacles they’ve overcome along their way to graduation, and to own their individuality, “We have beaten the odds and now we sit before each other on the cushion of hard work and sacrifice. I am proving to the world that yes, this person of color who overcame a serious illness, completed her associate degree.
“We each have our own story to tell. The experiences that you’ve had, whatever they may have been, are instrumental and priceless in building your character. Know that these experiences will take you the new heights that are greater than your imagination. It is not by chance that we are here; it’s the end result of the hard work we’ve invested into attaining another milestone in our lives. Now with the knowledge and power that we have obtained at LaGuardia, let’s proudly walk out of Barclays Center on this spectacular day, because you hold the pen that writes your future. Dare to be great.”
Ms. Givans plans to transfer to a four-year college to earn her bachelor’s and then pursue a career in public policy, so that she can advocate for people who don’t have the voice to do so themselves—something she felt during her illness.
LaGuardia’s Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Paul Arcario, Ed.D., gave welcoming remarks and introductions. The City University of New York was represented by the Honorable Henry T. Berger, J.D., a member of the Board of Trustees, who addressed the audience. LaGuardia sociology professor Arianna Martinez, Ph.D. served as grand marshal.
The LaGuardia Vocal Ensemble performed the Star-Spangled Banner, under the direction of LaGuardia music professor Lisa DeSpain, BMus Comp, MMus, and conducted by LaGuardia music professor Thomas Dempsey, BMus, MMus.
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
#### After 19 Years As President Of LaGuardia Community College, Dr. Gail O. Mellow To Give Her Final Commencement Address
—More Than 1,700 to Graduate at LaGuardia’s 2019 Commencement—
Thursday, June 13, 2019 @ Barclays Center
Long Island City, NY—LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow will give the keynote address at LaGuardia Community College’s 47th Commencement on June 13, 2019 at Barclays Center. It will be the last commencement that Dr. Mellow will preside over as president of the college; she recently announced plans to step down in August 2019.
Dr. Mellow has served as president of LaGuardia Community College since 2000. During her tenure, she’s become a national voice for community colleges—advocating for increased funding for and acknowledgement of the significant role that two-year colleges play in the U.S higher education system. In 2017, she was awarded the TIAA Institute Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence, one of the most prestigious awards in academia.
Under Dr. Mellow’s leadership, LaGuardia is among the top 1% of two-year colleges nationwide (#5 out of 604) with the greatest success in lifting the poorest students into jobs that enable them to create better lives for themselves and their families, according to research led by analysts at Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality.
WHO: Members of LaGuardia’s Class of 2019
• More than 1,700 students will receive their associate degree in one of more than 60 majors from LaGuardia Community College
• LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow; additional college leadership, faculty and staff; representatives of the City University of New York (CUNY); and other esteemed guests
• Alumni Speaker: Aida Akim-Escriva (LaGuardia’15), who works in fundraising for the Global Fund for Women. Ms. Akim-Escriva spent her childhood in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, before immigrating to the United States. After earning her associate degree in journalism from LaGuardia, she went on to earn her bachelor’s from Amherst College.
• Class of 2019 Speaker: Kishauna Givans, a 30-year-old therapeutic recreation major who was born and raised in Jamaica. Ms. Givans plans to transfer to a four-year college to earn her bachelor’s, and then pursue a career in health care public policy.
WHAT: LaGuardia Community College’s 47th Commencement
WHERE: Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11217
WHEN: Tuesday, June 13, 2019, 9 a.m. ET
Press Call: 8 a.m. ET. Reporters should enter Barclays Center via the VIP Entrance at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Fort Greene Place.
Commencement will be live-streamed on LaGuardia’s YouTube channel.
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LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
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