Three LaGuardia Community College Students Named Kaplan Leadership Scholars
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (December 9, 2025) — Three LaGuardia Community College/CUNY students have been named 2025-26 Kaplan Leadership Scholars. The Kaplan Educational Foundation program empowers community college students to achieve leadership roles in their professions and communities through improved access to higher education and professional development.
The scholars are Nataly Briones (Human Services: Mental Health), Mame Diarra Bousso Fall (Liberal Arts: Math & Science), and Kenny Lin (Liberal Arts: Political Science).
Established in 2006, the Kaplan Leadership Program supports high-potential, low-income, and historically underrepresented students in completing their associate degrees and transferring to four-year institutions. Kaplan Scholars receive stipends, tutoring, academic advisement, leadership and career training, and other resources to help them achieve their goals.
Notably, 92% of Kaplan Scholars earn a bachelor’s degree, often at highly selective schools, including Ivy League institutions.
Nataly Briones, 36, is a first-generation college student and single mother of four, ages 12 through 16. Born in Ecuador and raised in New York, Briones says the scholarship validates her perseverance.
“Being named a Kaplan Leadership Scholar gives me the confidence to continue trailblazing,” said Briones, who has a 3.98 GPA and is an ASAP student.
Briones credits LaGuardia for its supportive environment. “From my first tour, LaGuardia felt like home,” she said. “My professors—Dr. Jason Hendrickson, Dr. Ingrid Veras, Dr. Juline Koken and others—have been remarkable, and I find inspiration in my student peers. Opportunities like CREAR Futuros and speaking on panels through CUNY’s Career Connected Learning have helped me grow.”
As a CREAR (College Readiness, Achievement and Retention) Futuros mentor, Briones supports first-year students transition to college. The program, sponsored by the Hispanic Federation, is hosted at LaGuardia by Casa de las Américas, which Briones says “has become a home for me on campus.”
Briones, recently named a Women’s Forum of New York Scholar, plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree—possibly in Food Studies—and eventually a master’s or Ph.D. Her goal is to promote health and wellness among diverse populations through culturally competent approaches, a mission inspired by her own 100-pound weight loss. Friends and family seeking her guidance led her to launch a coaching business that helps families build healthy eating habits by creating menus and recipes.
Mame Diarra Bousso Fall, 21, grew up in Senegal and moved to the U.S. after high school. She began her studies in LaGuardia’s CUNY Language Immersion Program.
“When I arrived in the U.S., I could barely form a sentence in English,” said Fall, who has a 4.0 GPA. “Being named a Kaplan Leadership Scholar fills me with pride and gratitude; it offers not just financial and academic support, but mentorship and community.”
Fall credits LaGuardia for building her confidence and providing strong academic foundations, research opportunities, and supportive mentors.
“Professor Dilrukshan Wijesinghe (Natural Sciences) helped me figure out the major that aligned with my long-term goals,” Fall said, “and my ASAP advisor, Michelle Castro, has supported me in every way and introduced me to the Kaplan Leadership Program.”
Fall plans to earn a medical degree and develop a career improving healthcare access, especially in underserved communities.
Kenny Lin, 19, was born and raised in New York City to Chinese-immigrant parents and is a first-generation college student.
“It’s quite a feat to be named a Kaplan Leadership Scholar,” said Lin, who hails from The Bronx and has a 3.97 GPA. “It showcases the potential Kaplan sees in community college students to become leaders charting the next generation of positive change.”
Lin aspires to work in government, ideally writing federal legislation to address the affordability crisis—either as an elected official or serving one.
“I’m interested in how the system of bureaucracy affects how our communities work,” said Lin. “As I learned from a political science class with Dr. Nichole Shippen, everything we touch and interact with is the product of politics.”
Lin has gained experience as a community organizer, volunteering on Mayor-elect Mamdani’s campaign and currently with U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On campus, Lin serves as Vice President of Service for LaGuardia’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, and completed a Gardiner-Shenker Fellowship with the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. He was also part of LaGuardia’s Model United Nations delegation at the National Model United Nations conference in Washington, DC in November.
“I want to understand the world around me—why conflict happens and how can it be resolved. My goal is to study how inequality and neoliberalism create massive wealth gaps between lower-income individuals and corporations,” said Lin, who is considering a double major in international studies and political science. “I envision a future where society is more equitable and there’s opportunity for everyone without restrictions.”
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution 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 advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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