Two LaGuardia Students Accepted to Columbia University

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (NOVEMBER 18, 2025) — Two LaGuardia Community College/CUNY students are celebrating a milestone achievement: acceptance into Columbia University’s School of General Studies for Spring 2026. Their success reflects not only their perseverance but also the strong academic foundation and support they received at LaGuardia.

Tamoy Bloomfield and Jessicah Erondu are both 2025–26 members of President’s Society, LaGuardia’s signature career and leadership development program for high-achieving students.

The news broke during the dinner portion of a recent President’s Society evening workshop. Bloomfield, a Paralegal Studies major, shared her Columbia acceptance. Moments later, Erondu, a Creative Writing major, announced she had been admitted as well.

“The room erupted in cheers; it was an incredible moment,” said Stefania Dinu, Foundation Engagement Specialist for President’s Society.

Tamoy Bloomfield, 44, was born in Jamaica and is a long-time NYC resident and mother of three daughters. A Phi Theta Kappa Honors Student and four-time Dean’s List scholar, she founded and leads The Law Society: Pre-Law League, a club for students interested in the law. She organizes events that connect students with attorneys.

Bloomfield completed an internship at the Queens District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau and currently serves as a Civic Fellow in LaGuardia’s Communications & External Affairs Department. She plans to pursue political science and sociology before attending law school.

Bloomfield has already been accepted to seven schools, including NYU and St. John’s. At NYU, she was selected for the Community College Transfer Opportunity, which covers half tuition, and awarded a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship for community college transfer students with a minimum 3.8 GPA, providing $2,500 per semester. Ultimately, her decision will depend on financial aid packages. Her long-term goal: work as a paralegal while earning her bachelor’s degree, then attend law school to specialize in family or criminal law.

Jessicah Erondu, originally from Nigeria and raised in New York, shifted her academic focus from biology to creative writing to pursue her love of writing and storytelling. An Honors student and Dean’s List recipient, Erondu is a contributor to The Lit, LaGuardia’s Student Literary and Arts Magazine (read her entry, “The Family House”), and serves as Vice President of the Film Club. At Columbia University, she hopes to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a successful screenwriter and novelist.

Founded in 2013, President’s Society prepares high-potential students for their future careers with seminars on leadership skills, cultural experiences, and professional connections. Weekly workshops include networking dinners and conversations with leaders from diverse industries. Recent guests include philanthropist Alice Tisch, Jane Son of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, and Byron Slosar, founder of HelloHive.

“Through the personal stories, our President’s Society students see their own potential and learn how to leverage their degrees into exciting careers,” said Karen Dubinsky, Chief Engagement Officer for LaGuardia and co-founder of President’s Society.

President’s Society Students, known as Ambassadors, receive two $2,000 stipends—one in fall and one in spring—made possible by generous donors through the LaGuardia Community College Foundation. The Foundation is currently asking for support for #CUNYTuesday on December 2, a special day of giving aligned with the global Giving Tuesday movement. Donations fund scholarships, emergency aid, and critical resources so students can graduate without debt—a vital need, as 68% of LaGuardia degree-seeking students have family incomes under $35,000.

LaGuardia ranks among the nation’s best at helping students climb the economic ladder. President’s Society boasts strong outcomes—95% of participants complete their associate degrees, and 88% earn or are pursuing bachelor’s degrees. Alumni have transferred to highly selective colleges nationwide and now work as attorneys, doctors, finance executives, software engineers, entrepreneurs, and more.

Applications are now open for LaGuardia’s Spring 2026 semester, beginning March 4. Learn more and apply today.

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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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