Long Island City, NY—June 18, 2013—Marilyn Skony Stamm, the CEO of Stamm International Corp., and a former LaGuardia Community College Foundation board director whose fundraising efforts have helped raise over $700,000 for student scholarships, was honored at the Foundation’s Innovative Leadership Award reception.

“I cannot tell you how important Marilyn has been to our Foundation and our students,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College, to the faculty, staff, students, Foundation members and friends who attended the annual fundraiser at the United Nations on June 4. “Marilyn has been a driving force in our organization. She has increased awareness of the College and the Foundation’s commitment to open doors to opportunity for the students and has created the highly successful Spring into Action scholarship campaign that is providing much needed financial support for our students. At LaGuardia we treasure and celebrate all she has given to us.”

Since launching her brainchild in 2009, the Foundation has awarded over 300 full-tuition, Spring into Action scholarships to new and returning students.

One of the scholarship recipients, Freda Raitelu, a single mother who had to put her college education on hold for 10 years while she was on dialysis awaiting a kidney match, explained to the audience how the scholarship helped change her life. “I struggled every day to pay tuition and cover the cost of books and school supplies. Even affording a weekly Metrocard was a challenge. When I was awarded a Spring into Action scholarship, it paid my tuition in full, my college career blossomed.”

As Freda continued to describe the joy she experienced immersing herself in her studies, her emotions took over and she choked back tears as she tried to finish her speech. Marilyn quickly walked up to the podium, embraced Freda, and said, “This is what makes giving so worthwhile,” she said. And to the honor student who is transferring to Smith College in the fall, she said, “We are so proud of you.”

Speaking directly to Freda and the other scholarship recipients who face equally formidable challenges, Ms. Stamm said, “I thank you for the inspiration you give to us. Your determination, hard work, positive attitude and ability to overcome significant challenges in your lives are motivators for us all.”

She then directed her praise to LaGuardia for being a role model for all community colleges, describing them as “the unsung heroes of the educational world.” And hailed President Mellow for her leadership and vision and offered this advice, “Keep your innovation and openness to new ideas; continue to build bridges between the private sector and LaGuardia; and keep moving the bar higher and maintaining your high standards of excellence for your students and the school.”

Ms. Stamm understands the challenges LaGuardia students face because she, too, was a scholarship recipient. “I know what it is like to work and go to school; what it is like when every dollars counts,” she said.

She went on to say, “much of who I became was the result of receiving scholarships. Scholarship money was very important to my achieving my educational dreams, both as an undergraduate and graduate.”

The “scholarship kid,” as she describes herself, began her undergraduate experience at Northwestern University with the help of a generous scholarship. After a false start as a chemistry major, she switched over to political science and earned her degree in 1973.

She went on to pursue her master’s degree at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she was a Celia M. Howard Fellow. Satisfying her deep passion for global finance, law and business, she earned a degree in International Law and Finance in 1974.

With her credentials in hand, Ms. Stamm returned to Chicago where she landed her first job at the First National Bank of Chicago. There she trained as a foreign exchange trader, making her one of the first women in the U.S. to do so, and went on to become an assistant vice president charged with managing the Corporate Foreign Exchange trading desk.

After four years at the Chicago bank, she moved to New York and joined Marine Midland Bank as vice president of international treasury management. She left banking in 1982 to join the Continental Grain Company, one of the world’s largest privately held commodity companies, where she was vice president of Conti Currency, a subsidiary specializing in risk management and currency arbitrage.

In 1984 she once again returned to banking to become vice president and curriculum development officer at Chase Manhattan and three years later joined Stamm International Corp., a 70-year old privately held global mid-sized manufacturer and distributor of industrial and commercial heating, ventilating, air conditioning equipment, chimney and flues.

Throughout her career, Ms. Stamm noted that she has been actively involved in setting up scholarship programs or supporting scholarship programs at her alma maters, medical centers and organizations. And now LaGuardia.

Asked how her relationship with the community college began, Ms. Stamm replied, “It can only be described as serendipity.”

“I inadvertently received a friends-of-LaGuardia e-mail from President Mellow that included an essay she wrote on educational reform,” she said. “Being a strong advocate of educational reform, I started reading the piece. I liked her ideas and vision, so I e-mailed her back. Gail gets an e-mail from a woman she did not know, but was impressed with what she wrote and called her.”

The two met for lunch where they exchanged ideas and visions. “There was instant chemistry,” added Ms. Stamm. “I was drawn by her vision and her great leadership skills. She got me hooked on LaGuardia.”

That was in 2008. Ms. Stamm joined the Foundation board and the first major initiative that she created was the Spring into Action campaign.

“The Foundation needed a more formal approach to raising money for scholarships,” said Ms. Stamm who explained that the fundraising arm of the College was relying primarily on its annual fundraising event. “Spring into Action runs at a perfect time—from March 1 through May 29—so we know exactly what type of funding we have.”

Ms. Stamm said she plans on continuing to work with President Mellow on developing other creative ways of raising money that will benefit students.

“You cannot help but be moved by the students,” said Ms. Stamm. “I was a scholarship kid, but I did not have anything near some of the challenges these students face. So, if we can help them achieve their dreams, as I did mine, that is what it is all about.”


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Long Island City, NY—June 11, 2013—When his short film was selected “best film” at the Campus Movie Fest at Hunter College, Girard Tecson, a ’07 LaGuardia Community College graduate, knew that this would not be the film’s last screening. Packaged with the top award was an invitation to show the film at the 2014 Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It was quite a thrill to take the top prize at the festival,” said Girard, a media studies major at Hunter College, who produced, directed and edited the film. “But to know that the film will be screened at Cannes is a dream come true.”

“This Moment,” which also won best actor award, best soundtrack and was nominated for best comedy at the Hunter festival, was among some 100 films submitted in the nationwide festival. The Campus Movie Fest, the world’s largest student film festival, has a partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, and presents the top 30 short films in the festival’s Short Film Corner.

The five-minute film is Girard’s take on “Groundhog Day,” the 1993 comedy starring Bill Murray. In the original film, Mr. Murray plays an arrogant TV meteorologist who, during a dreaded assignment to cover Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the same day over and over. As he relives February 2, he is forced to reexamine his life. In “This Moment,” the protagonist, Rick, believes he must defeat an enemy to end the endless loop.

“The plot is a little complicated,” said Girard who noted that he went through countless rewrites.

Girard said his interest in filmmaking was sparked after viewing a “terrible” indie film. He and his friends thought that they could produce a better movie and so they launched their own production company, Dayside Productions, bought a camera and started producing several ninja and gangster videos.

At LaGuardia, he took several film production classes and produced a number of short films that were well received at the College’s film festival.

When he transferred to Hunter, he continued to refine his craft and produced a number of short films that captured attention. In 2009, “Good Man,” was chosen to be viewed at Lincoln Center at the Campus Movie Fest event; and “Dave and Leo” (2010), “Taking Julia” (2010) and “For the Win” (2011) were among the top films at the campus festivals. But, 2012 proved to be a breakout year when “Romance of the Dead,” a sweet love story about two young zombies, took “Best Comedy,” “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” at the festival.

It was at that festival that Girard learned that to have a screening at the Cannes Festival it was not enough to win the best comedy award; you had to take home the best picture award. “When I learned that, I decided to focus on producing a film for the 2013 Campus Movie Fest,” he said.

Under the Campus Movie Fest rules, the film had to be produced in one week. Working under a tight deadline, Girard recruited his Dayside Productions actors, who had worked on his earlier films, and in three days he shot the film at various locations in Chinatown, Bayside and Flushing. The remaining four days were spent editing and working on the original soundtrack created by a Brooklyn punk/pop band.

Having captured the coveted award, Girard reflected upon his young career. “Five years ago, we were submitting films to festivals that were not even accepted, and now we are top filmmakers at Hunter and have been invited to screen our film at Cannes. This proves to us that we are truly improving our craft.”

Girard said he will continue to hone his craft, work at LaGuardia as an editing room lab tech, complete his degree at Hunter and, of course, to save up for his trip to Cannes.


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 LaGuardia Community College Celebrates its Annual 41st Commencement Exercises on June 6
 

New York City, NY—June 6, 2012— Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the College gathered in the Jacob K. Javits Center North at 10 a.m. on June 6, 2013 to celebrate the conferring of degrees on LaGuardia Community College’s 41st graduating class, the Class of 2013. This year, the College graduated over 1,000 students.

To view photos of the ceremony, visit:
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/laguardiaccollege/sets/72157633973718590/

Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein gave the Keynote Address at the ceremony.


Dr. Paul Arcario, the College’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs welcomed the family and friends of the Class of 2013 to the ceremony, congratulated the graduates and introduced the Presidential Platform Party, comprised of Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College; Freda Raitelu, Class of 2013 Representative; Shah Amanat, the president of the Student Government Association; founding faculty of the College; faculty representatives from each department and certificate program at LaGuardia; as well as Foundation Board members and other honored guests. 

Dr. Arcario then introduced Dr. Mellow.

“Graduates, you are just exceptional in every way. Maybe you never thought you’d be the ones to graduate from college, but you fought for it. You juggled jobs, cared for children and took multiple buses and subways. You’re here because you’re dreamers and fighters; you can see a better future for yourselves and your families, and you never let those obstacles stop you. I am proud to be your President.”

“Our keynote speaker is a very successful man, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at LaGuardia has helped over 300 businesses in our area. He believes in the power of community colleges to help improve our nation’s economy, because Goldman Sachs chose community colleges, and LaGuardia as the first, to implement 10,000 Small Businesses.”

Mr. Blankfein greeted the graduates, their families and the College community. It is a great honor for me to share in your accomplishment and pride today. My advice is grounded in my own experience. And my experience, in many respects, is not that different from many of yours.”

Mr. Blankfein went on to share how growing up in the Linden Houses of East New York in a working-class family and being the first in his family to go to college fueled his ambition to succeed. He told of how his love of reading, particularly biographies, opened up a world of possibilities. His initial insecurity at college life drove him to work harder, and he told the graduates their own struggles to achieve their degrees reflected their ambition.

“We owe it to ourselves and our families to keep striving.”

He proffered suggestions for success: confidence, finding a job they would like, being a well-rounded person, and becoming involved in their communities.

“Leave yourself open to the world of possibility. You have the ambition, you have the smarts, and you have the toughness. So, turn the page on your biography – you have just started a new chapter in your lives.”

LaGuardia Community College Foundation Board Chairman Paul Higbee next lauded the Class of 2013.

“Good morning Class of 2013, on behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors, I congratulate you on your achievement today. This is a month for anniversaries and celebrations at LaGuardia. We have with us members of the Class of 1973, the College’s first graduating class, whose pioneering legacy you carry forward, and we also celebrate the Foundation’s tenth anniversary. We’re proud to have supported many of you, and we’re happy to help many more students reach this goal. Congratulations!”

Next to offer well wishes to the graduates was the Honorable Terrence F. Martell, a Trustee of the Board of the City University of New York, and a professor of finance at Baruch College.

Mr. Martell told the Class of 2013, “It is my pleasure to bring greetings and congratulations on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York. CUNY faculty have prepared you well to achieve a strong return on your investment in your education and in yourself. You have become role models and earned the respect of your faculty and peers. I wish you success, health and happiness. Congratulations and very good luck!”

Freda Raitelu, an Honors Program student who persevered to fulfill her dream of becoming a college graduate despite a kidney transplant, and was named the 2012 Student of the Year by the National Collegiate Honors Council, was the 2013 Class Representative.

An electrifying speaker, Ms. Raitelu’s words of praise, encouragement and gratitude raised thunderous applause from her peers and the entire College community.

“To the graduating Class of 2013: Congratulations! Today we honor every hope, every challenge and every set back we’ve had to endure to get here. Our experience at LaGuardia has enabled us to go forward in life truly understanding the notion that one should never judge a book by its cover.”

After thanking the faculty of staff for helping the students make it to the finish line, she continued, “As we have been empowered to change through our experiences here at LaGuardia, it is equally important to empower those around us to believe that they too, have the potential to realize their dreams.”

“Graduating Class of 2013, today is only the beginning of the rest of our lives. Explore your purpose, rise to the challenges you meet, and make the world a better place. I’ll see you on the other side. Congratulations!”

Mr. Frederick P. Schaeffer, Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs for CUNY, addressed the Class of 2013 on behalf of CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein.

“Good morning. It is my pleasure to bring you greetings and congratulations on behalf of Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of CUNY. Let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge the opportunity CUNY has given, and all the hard work you have done. Despite obstacles, you are here today through determination and that will take you further in the wider world as well. Congratulations!”

Dr. Mellow then instructed the Class of 2013 to “Stand up, turn around and cheer for their families who helped get them to this point, because you did not do this alone.” Their applause and shouts of gratitude reverberated throughout the hall.

LaGuardia Alumni Association President Anthony Pappas welcomed the graduates as new alumni.

“Pride is what connects members of the Alumni Association. We all have different stories about our time at the College, but what unites us is the fact that we succeeded, and we want to stay connected to this special place that gave us our start.”


The Class of 2013 is a diverse cohort: 40% are between the ages of 18-24; 33% are between 25-29 years of age; 11% are between the ages of 30-34; 13% are between the ages of 35-44; 5% are age 45 and over.

Thirty-two percent of LaGuardia’s Class of 2013 is Hispanic; 21% identify themselves as Asian/Pacific Islanders; 12% are Black, non-Hispanic; 12% are White, non-Hispanic. Sixty-seven percent live in Queens; 14% live in Brooklyn; 10% live in Manhattan; 5% live in the Bronx; and 4% live elsewhere.

Degrees awarded this year encompass: 26% Associate in Applied Science; 43% Associate in Sciences; 31% Associate in Arts.


Beaming with pride, Dr. Mellow addressed the graduates, “I cannot tell you how phenomenally terrific you look, I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I expect the world of you. Congratulations!”




After the conferral of degrees upon the graduates, President Mellow instructed the excited students to move their tassels from the right to the left side of their mortarboards, signifying their new status as alumni of LaGuardia Community College.

A nationally recognized leader among community colleges, LaGuardia Community College was founded in 1971 as the ultimate experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. At LaGuardia, we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

LAGCC Student’s Logo Design is the New Face of WAC Lighting Co.  

 

  

Long Island City, NY—May 26, 2013—Drawing was never just a hobby for Karen He He. She spent most of her childhood in flux, attending twelve schools in three countries and struggling with her identity as a Venezuelan national born to Chinese parents. At LaGuardia, a collaborative design project with a local business supporter of the College allowed Karen to solidify her passion: By successfully constructing the visual identity of WAC Lighting Company, Karen was able to crystallize her calling as an artist.

As the only aspiring artist in her family, Karen feared disappointing her business-owning parents who never finished college and hoped she would pursue medicine or use her fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and English as a translator for the United Nations. She felt additional pressure from her three math and science-oriented siblings, including her eldest sister who is soon to graduate with a degree in industrial engineering. 

Despite her family’s doubts, however, she enrolled in the design curriculum offered at LaGuardia to improve her craft. “A lot of people opened my mind. It really helped me as a designer,” says Karen about her art classes at the College.
In June of last summer, Tai Wang, an honorary LaGuardia Community College Foundation board director, called upon professors, staff and students from the Business and Technology and Humanities Departments to develop her innovative idea of challenging select students in a logo redesign competition for her family's "Responsible Lighting" company. The competition gave Karen the opportunity to cultivate her skills beyond classroom walls. 

“Karen did a great job taking our brand image into consideration,” said Mrs. Wang, the co-founder and vice president of WAC Lighting. “Everyone at WAC was very pleased with her sophisticated design.”
Her logo triumphed over those of upperclassmen and professional designers and decorates WAC Lighting’s website, packaging and official communications as of January 2012. For Karen, this win was worth more than the $1,000 prize that came with it. She has paved her own way and is making her childhood dream a reality.

The valuable real-world experience she gained from the project boosted her confidence and reaffirmed her career path, but more importantly, it illuminated her potential to her parents. “They were so happy when I won the competition. They saw that I had a talent,” said the winning artist.
Currently in her last semester at LaGuardia, she is deciding where to transfer for her Bachelor’s; she has been accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology and is waiting to hear back from the School of Visual Arts and other colleges. Her possible future goals include opening an advertising agency in Venezuela to support the advancement of the country or joining an animation company to create movies like those that inspired her since she was a child.

Meanwhile, Karen is gaining more inspiration from LaGuardia peers and professors while taking such liberal arts courses as Introduction to Philosophy and Gothic Art. “What I like about coming here is that people always tell you things that you never thought about, and it’s inspiring,” she adds, “I didn’t expect so much from a community college.”

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

### 

 

Long Island City, NY—May 23, 2013—More and more we read articles about innocent people who have languished in prison for crimes they did not commit. William Lopez was one of those innocent victims. For 23 years he sat in a jail cell for the murder of a drug dealer until this past January when he was released by a federal judge who called the case “rotten from day one.”

Mr. Lopez will be telling his powerful story that involves another exonerated man, Jeffrey Deskovic, who spent 16 years in prison and used his settlement money from the government to create his own Innocence Project, which helped proved Mr. Lopez’s innocence. He will also describe his adjustment to life as a free man.

Please come and join us and hear Mr. Lopez tell his compelling story at LaGuardia’s Fifth Annual Criminal Justice Conference.

WHAT: Fifth Annual Criminal Justice Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, May 28
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: LaGuardia Community College
Poolside Café
31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

RSVP: Randy Fader-Smith
(718) 482-5985

Email: Randyfs@lagcc.cuny.edu


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at twice the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Long Island City, NY—May 22, 2013—Dr. Suresh Canagarajah, a professor of Applied Linguistics and English at Pennsylvania State University and an award-winning author, will be the featured speaker at the Literacy Brokers Program’s inaugural event on May 30.

In his presentation/workshop, “Brokering Academic Publishing Conventions,” Dr. Canagarajah will discuss and demystify academic publishing conventions, show how they are biased to certain ways of relating to knowledge and discuss possibilities of renegotiating them. Following his presentation, there will be focused discussion groups and a large group exchange.

The presentation is geared toward multilingual faculty/scholars and those who support their efforts toward academic publications: writing and English language teachers and support services; academic department chairs; and academic administrators.

The event is sponsored by LaGuardia’s Center for Teaching and Learning in support of the Literacy Brokers Program initiative. The initiative, which is coordinated by Associate Professor Maria Jerskey of the Education and Language Acquisition Department, promotes the academic writing and publishing practices of multilingual faculty members by cultivating networks of literacy brokers—behind-the-scene-mediators—that are instrumental in shaping multilingual scholars’ texts as they move to completion.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Canagarajah has advocated for practices that empower language learners at all levels and make use of the inherent creativity multilinguals bring to their acquisition of language and literacy competence.

Dr. Canagarajah was the editor of TESOL Quarterly from 2005 to 2009, and an editor and author of several books and over 50 journal articles and book chapters.
For his writing, he was awarded the MLA’s Mina Shaughnessy Award, the Gary Olsen Award from the Association for the Teachers of Advanced Composition and the CCC Richard Braddock Award.

 

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

 (New York, May 16, 2013) — MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research firm, released encouraging findings today from a rigorous evaluation of a new approach to GED instruction pioneered by LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY). The GED Bridge to Health and Business Program not only aims to better prepare students to pass the GED exam but also to continue on to college and training programs. One year after enrolling in the program, Bridge students were more than twice as likely to have passed the GED exam and three times as likely to have enrolled in college as students in a more traditional GED preparation class.

In many large cities, high school dropout rates hover around 50 percent. And while most dropouts eventually do continue their education, too few of those who start GED programs ever pass the exam. Moreover, for those who do earn their GED, the certificate often marks the end of their education, in part because few GED programs (even those that operate on community college campuses) are well linked to college or training programs. Students with only a GED face long odds of success in a labor market that increasingly prizes specialized training and college education. The need to develop stronger pathways to college for those without high school credentials is clear. And this need is only magnified by new rules eliminating federal financial aid for aspiring college students without a high school diploma or a GED and by the planned 2014 implementation of a new GED exam that emphasizes college readiness.

What Is LaGuardia’s Bridge to Health and Business Program?

LaGuardia’s GED Bridge to Health and Business Program offers several enhancements to the traditional GED preparation approach. Rather than focusing solely on passing the test, the program was designed explicitly as a pathway to college and careers. Students attend more hours in class over the course of a semester than is typical for GED programs and receive intensive advising from full-time Bridge staff. The foundation of the GED Bridge program is its “contextualized curriculum.” The curriculum has two broad goals: first, to build the skills that are tested on the GED exam through the use of content specific to a field of interest (health or business) and, second, to develop general academic habits and skills that prepare students to succeed in college or certification programs.

What Did MDRC’s Study Find?

MDRC used a random assignment design to evaluate the effects of the GED Bridge program on student achievement compared with a more traditional GED program (GED Prep). The GED Bridge program was targeted to low-income individuals in New York City who did not have a high school diploma or a GED. Over 80 percent of students were either African-American or Hispanic, about half of the students scored at a seventh- or eighth-grade reading level, over half reported receiving some form of public assistance, and close to 40 percent reported that they were employed when they began the program. MDRC’s analysis provides one-year of follow-up on three cohorts of students (fall 2010, spring 2011, and fall 2011). Key findings include:

•    Compared with students who went through the traditional GED Prep course, Bridge students were much more likely to complete the semester of classes. The first milestone for students in the GED Bridge program is class completion. Students in the GED Bridge group completed the class at a significantly higher rate than the Prep students (68 percent compared with 47 percent).

•    Bridge students were more than twice as likely to pass the GED exam as GED Prep students. Overall, 53 percent of Bridge students passed the exam within 12 months of entering the study, compared with 22 percent of Prep students.

•    GED Bridge students were more than three times as likely to enroll in CUNY as GED Prep students. Only 7 percent of GED Prep students enrolled compared with 24 percent of GED Bridge students, a difference of 17 percentage points.

“LaGuardia’s pioneering work with the GED Bridge program is changing the lives of students. We now have powerful evidence that we can significantly improve students’ ability to pass the GED test and successfully enroll in college. LaGuardia is committed to not only see this work grow at our own campus, but also to share our strategy and approach with educators across the nation,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, President of LaGuardia Community College.

“With national interest growing in programs that prepare individuals for careers in high-growth industries, and with changes coming to the GED exam, these promising findings could hardly come at a better time,” said Gordon Berlin, President of MDRC. “They contribute to a growing body of evidence that sector or career-based initiatives may offer an effective route for low-income, low-skilled adult learners to complete secondary education and gain access to higher education and training.”

In 2014, MDRC will publish longer-term follow-up data, which will include the fourth and final study cohort and information on persistence in college. Given that these promising findings are from only one site, it will be important to test other models that have a similar approach and goal of preparing low-income students for college and careers.

The Robin Hood Foundation and MetLife Foundation supported both the development of the GED Bridge program at LaGuardia Community College and MDRC’s evaluation. A policy brief is available on MDRC’s Web site: www.mdrc.org.
 

City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer Proclaims
April 19 “Day of Favors” at LaGuardia Community College

 

Long Island City, NY—April 17, 2013—To quash the stereotype that New Yorkers are just not nice, Priscilla Stadler, a LaGuardia Community College administrator and Queens artist, is spearheading a project challenging the people of Queens, and beyond, to defy the myth by doing FAVORS for friends, family and strangers during April. To kick off the project, City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer will be officially proclaiming that April 19 the “Day of Favors” at LaGuardia Community College’s “FAVORS Party/Party FAVORS.

At the fete, members of the Queens-based community organizations partnering in the project will share their stories of favors and sign up those who wish to participate in the project. The party will be taking place at The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) at 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

During the month of April, New Yorkers are asked to document their FAVORS through new or old media. From there, Ms. Stadler will take the FAVORS and add them to an online Map of FAVORS, which she will then transform into a large-scale sculptural installation later this year.

“We are asking resident to send me the who, what, where and when of the favor,” said Ms. Stadler who explained that a favor should take three hours or under, should not involve any kind of money or coercion, and must be legal. “Every participant in this project will be a co-creator of this dynamic, interactive demonstration of positive spirit and generosity in New York City.”

Ms. Stadler, through drawing, sculpture, installation and interaction, explores experiences and questions that connect us as humans. In addition to her studio work—primarily drawing and sculpture—she creates interactive situations. Her work has been featured in many exhibitions and screenings, including the Itinerant Performance Festival, the Queens International 2012 at the Queens Museum of Art, the FAVORS project 2011 at Mess Hall in Chicago and the Oracle of Random Quotes installation at Local Project in 2009.

The project is being funded by a Queens Council on the Arts grant and supported by eight community organizations, which will each bring unique perspectives to the theme of doing favors. They are: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, which integrated FAVOR events into its Rough Draft Festival, a showcase for exciting new work; The Flushing High School Drama Club, which will recognize school’s unsung heroes by doing anonymous FAVORS for them; Sunnyside Community Services Volunteer Program and Senior Programs will do FAVORS; Immigrant Movement International, which will offer a workshop for its mothers’ group and is encouraging dialogue about the meaning of favors in their community; Rockaway Waterfront Alliance is running a workshop and information event to encourage people to discuss favors in the wake of Hurricane Sandy; Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning is conducting activities related to FAVORS; Long Island City Artists is encouraging its artists to do favors creatively; and Jackson Heights Green Alliance is encouraging its members and communities to do favors. Download Favors Event Flyer.

To learn more about the project or to participate, please visit:
• facebook.com/FAVORS
• @doingFAVORS or #doingFAVORS – Twitter, Instagram
• doingfavors.tumblr.com
• doingFAVORS@gmail.com
• test or call the FAVORS hotline: (646) 543-4715
• write: Prescilla Studio, 44-202 23rd Street, #421, Long Island City, NY 11101
 
About LaGuardia Community College:
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Long Island City, NY—February 22, 2013—At the Kennedy Center’s American Collegiate Theater Festival, a theater showcase where over 200 theater students from colleges and graduate schools throughout the northeast were competing, the same question was being asked by amazed students and faculty: “Who are those guys who did so well and where did they come from?”

These guys who received high-fives from their peers and wows from the judges were 11 LaGuardia Community College students who entered the five-day competition as underdogs and came out winners. Although the students did not secure the top prize, three out of the five acting pairs reached the semi-finals, making LaGuardia one of only two colleges with more than two students in the semis. And in the Design, Technology and Management Competition, a LaGuardia student was a runner-up.

“We were the talk of the competition,” said John Cosentino, one of the students to make it to the semi-finals. “Everyone would see us in the hall and say, ‘you guys are amazing. What school do you go to and who is your professor?’ It made me proud to represent LaGuardia.”

The talented troupe was invited to the national theater festival this past February after an involved nomination process that brought judges on campus to attend their performances in the “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Anna in the Tropics.” Praising their commitment and talent, the judges invited the students to participate in a whirlwind competition at Cape Cod Community College. There they would be competing against students, many of whom had years of theatrical experience, in three categories—the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, the Musical Theater Initiative and the Design, Technology and Management Award.

In the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, where 220 student actors were competing for a chance to make it to the regionals, three LaGuardia students and their scene partners were among 36 semi-finalists. Reaching the semis was Daniel Feliz and his scene partner Julio Trinidad; John and his scene partner Nicole Heath; and Tiffany Scott and her scene partner Francisco Carrillo. The other acting teams were Javon Minter and his scene partner Jasmine Holloway; and Barney Villalona and his scene partner Isabel Maradiegue.

Patrick Surillo was a runner-up in the Design and Technical Management Award. Jasmine and Daniel also auditioned in a Musical Theater Initiative.

Stefanie Sertich, the students’ theater professor and training coach, has a theory on why her students did so well. “They have the passion, the heart, the soul, of an actor,” the proud instructor said. “I gave them the tools, the pathway, but they were the ones who really stepped it up. They dedicated themselves to it; they committed themselves.”

Still excited about their triumphs and the buzz they created at the competition, all the students agreed the festival was a life-changing experience.

“This is an experience that I will be able to draw from,” said Barney. “I learned a lot about myself and my future in the theater.”

John, who is now convinced he will pursue a degree and career in theater, said, “I loved the experience. It is something that will stay with me forever. I am already looking forward to next year. I am definitely going to go for it.”

Preparation for the competition began in earnest after the Christmas break. Each day, Ms. Sertich rehearsed with each group. “Some of the students were coming five days a week,” she said.

Tiffany said that during the early rehearsal sessions with Francisco she was having problems with the timing of her three- and two-minute scenes until she discovered she was not breathing through the scenes. “Once I realized that, and we found our tempo, we were fine,” said an animated Tiffany.

Daniel and Julio, during one of their rehearsal sessions of “Eye of the Hurricane,” were paid a visit by a special acting coach, Eduardo Machado, the show’s playwright. “Meeting him and performing in front of him was very scary,” admitted Julio. “But he enjoyed it and it was such a privilege receiving feedback from him.”

By the time the competition rolled around, the students felt prepared for an intensive five days of early morning auditions, rehearsals, and, for some, more auditions.

At the first round of the Irene Ryan audition, where he performed a scene from “Our Lady of 121st Street” by Stephen Adly Guirgis, John admitted to having pre-audition butterflies. “I was very nervous, but my scene partner calmed me down, and I decided to just have fun with it and gain from the experience,” he said. “I never thought I would make it to the semis, but when I did, I literally started jumping up and down. It was amazing.”

John realized how truly amazing his accomplishment was when one of his competitors came to congratulate him and said, “This is my fourth year and I never made it past the first round, and this is your first time and you made it to the second round.”

For the Design, Technology and Management Competition, Patrick, to his surprise, learned, upon his arrival, that the competition not only included an interview, but a stage management presentation. “There were students who had designed elaborate sets and play boards and I had nothing,” he said.

The students banded together to help Patrick create a hand puppet of Audrey II, the man-eating plant in “The Little Shop of Horrors,” the show he stage directed. After his interview, Patrick said a professor came up to him to say the two judges wanted him to know that they wished their students had as much passion as he has.

The students were not the only LaGuardians to impress the festival participants. Ms. Sertich was praised for her work with the students and asked to join the board of directors in the northeast region and to serve on the regional selection committee, which will have her travel to colleges and select students and college productions that will go to the festival.

For Dr. Gail O. Mellow, the president of LaGuardia, the competition is one of the best ways to help put LaGuardia’s fledgling theater major on the map. “Participation in the festival is an incredible component to the college theater student’s experience,” she said. “And the impact our students made there will encourage future theater majors to take a serious look at our program.”

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

Long Island City, NY—February 22, 2013—LaGuardia Community College is on a sustainable path. For the eighth consecutive year, the College was the recipient of the CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor’s Productivity Awards for its ambitious sustainability projects that reduced expenditures and saved energy. 

Executive Vice Chancellor Allan Dorbin presented two awards to Shahir Erfan, vice president of administration, who accepted the honors on behalf of the College. One award was for the reorganization of the cleaning service; the second for the work on the E-building mechanical systems, which included the upgrade of the chilled water distribution system and the Library’s air handling units. The ceremony took place at the CUNY Financial Management Conference on January 29.

“Winning CUNY’s Productivity Award once again affirms that LaGuardia Community College continues to look for ways to be more efficient and effective in delivering services to the College community, while being environmentally responsible,” said Mr. Erfan.

The initiative to reorganize LaGuardia’s cleaning service, headed by Diane Colon, director of administrative and support services, re-examined how staffing should be deployed and replaced contractor staff with better trained and supervised College employees. As a result of the effort, the College reduced expenditures in this area by $200,000 annually.

Yury Fastovsky, director of building operations, and Richard Ng, director of campus facilities, led their team in a project that converted the Library’s chilled water distribution system from a constant flow to a variable flow. Using more than $300,000 in funds it received from a successful competitive grant proposal to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in addition to $70,000 in campus investment, the College is able to reduce energy demand by 186,000 kilowatts, which translates into an annual savings of $30,000.

In addition, to rehabilitating the Library’s existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units, building operations department staff cut new access panels, removed sections of the two air-handling units to clear obstructions from the chilled water coils, instead of hiring contractors. Upon completion of the repairs, air supplied to the library was increased by 40% or 13,630 cfm (cubic feet of air per minute).

LaGuardia, a longtime advocate of sustainability, was one of the first colleges to win a CUNY Sustainability award in 2008 for its campus-wide comprehensive approach to sustainability. Initiatives that gained notice were the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products and the installation of solar powered batteries to operate hands-free faucets.

Last year, one LaGuardia initiative garnered a productivity award: the auditing of the College’s vending machines, which resulted in a savings of $450,000 over the past five years.

“LaGuardia continues to lead the way in the University’s sustainability efforts,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia. “The College applauds the division of administration for its innovative initiatives that are creating an eco-friendly campus, while saving much-needed revenue.”

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.