|
Doing More
I wasn’t around when LaGuardia introduced its slogan, “Dare to Do More”. I can’t tell you what its authors were thinking. But it grabs me because it reinforces a special imperative of community colleges—that we do more than just educate our students and help them earn their associate degrees. We have to connect to the city around us and find ways to harness the talent and energy of LaGuardia to serve the common good – to do more. While all institutions of higher education should be good citizens, publicly funded community colleges have civic obligations of the highest order. As I often say, we must double down on the second word in our name. With this in mind I recently asked a team of colleagues to develop a program to help the recently arrived asylum seekers, more than 50,000 of whom find themselves in New York after making their perilous journeys to the southern border of the US. Their plight is one of the greatest humanitarian emergencies the city has ever faced.
In short order John Hunt, Liz Iannotti, and Paula Da Silva Michelin – from our Department of Pre-College Academic Programs in the Division of Adult and Continuing Education – proposed LaGuardia English Express, a program of orientation and assessment events, English language workshops contextualized to the immediate needs of daily living, civic, and parental engagement, and referrals to educational and training pathways at LaGuardia and other organizations, including intermediate and advanced English classes, workforce training, and additional support services. The foundation of LaGuardia English Express is a set of eight basic English workshops, each teaching practical language skills for real-world scenarios faced by the asylum seekers, including, for example: Shopping for Food and Necessities; Talking about Your Family’s Health; Finding an Apartment; Getting Your Children into School; Talking about Your Skills and Getting a Job; and, Talking to the Police and Accessing Public Services. The two-hour, evening workshops are free, and participants can repeat a workshop as often as they need to during the 16-week session.
Last week we sent our proposal for LaGuardia English Express to several foundation leaders; we hope they will find it compelling. (We need to raise $200,000 to launch the program.) We want to start the workshops this summer. I look forward to giving you an update in these pages in the fall.
| |
|
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Occupational Therapy Assistant Top Health Care Job
Say what you will about their College Rankings, we were delighted to see that Occupational Therapy Assistant tops the U.S. News & World Report list of health care jobs that offer financially-rewarding salaries, career advancement, and good work-life balance. Why all the smiles and high-fives? Because LaGuardia is the only CUNY college to offer a degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant—one of just a few programs in the metropolitan region. “We support an individual’s ability to get their life back after an illness or accident. OTAs are trained to help patients with the tasks that are most important to them,” said Regina Lehman, OT, associate professor and OTA Program Director. For Rashaan Austin, COTA/L, 33, a 2021 graduate of LaGuardia’s OTA program, the variety of the work is what he enjoys about his profession. “Every patient is a unique experience. Even people with the same diagnosis. Each day always feels new and interesting,” said Rashaan, who currently works at a skilled nursing facility in East New York, Brooklyn.
| |
|
LaGuardia Hosts CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference
On March 31, International Transgender Day of Visibility, LaGuardia hosted the second annual CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference. The theme was “Community, Advocacy, Power, and Healing.” Cecilia Gentili, a trans advocate, and the principal and founder of Trans Equity Consulting, gave an inspiring keynote address. The large crowd in the college’s Main Stage Theatre included LGBTQI+ students and advocates from CUNY's 25 campuses, as well as faculty, staff, and allies. Remarks were given by City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, LaGuardia’s Provost, Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs Fay Butler, yours truly, as well as members of the CUNY LGBTQI+ Council. Student speakers included Keys Rigual, a computer science major at LaGuardia who is president and founder of the Queer and Fierce student club, and Landon Ranchor (LaGuardia ’20, Human Services) who is pursuing a bachelor's in social work at the College of Staten Island.
| |
|
Celebrating the Impact of LaGuardia’s Historic $15 Million Tomorrow Campaign
About a year ago, the LaGuardia Community College Foundation succeeded in its most ambitious fundraising effort to date—raising $15 million to help students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to stay in school and complete their degrees. To date, more than 11,000 awards have been given out to LaGuardia students from the Tomorrow Campaign, totaling $10 million in student aid. The funds have provided scholarships for both degree-seeking and workforce training students; emergency grants to help students with back rent, utilities, and tuition bills; and stipends to enable students take part in paid internships across New York City as well as jobs on the LaGuardia campus. To all of you who kindly contributed to the Tomorrow Campaign, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
| |
|
Foundation Support Helps Nursing Student Pursue Career Goals
Before enrolling at LaGuardia in fall 2021, Chelsea Vaughan, 33, had spent nearly ten years working as a nanny and art teacher in Sunnyside, Queens. When she became unemployed during the “big pause,” as she refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chelsea decided to become a Registered Nurse. “LaGuardia was my first choice, not only because it is the top-ranked Associate degree nursing school in New York State, but because it puts nursing students in clinical settings from day one.” Chelsea is now in her second semester in LaGuardia’s Registered Nursing Program. Additionally, she’s involved in research with biology professors Dr. Ingrid Veras and Dr. Joby Jacob, testing Newtown Creek for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Chelsea is receiving a stipend from the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) for the project, and recently earned a Marilyn Skony Stamm and Arthur Stamm Scholarship from the LaGuardia Foundation. A new member of the college’s “3,000 Heroes” campaign, Chelsea is on track to graduate with her associate degree in nursing in spring 2024, and enjoying her clinicals where she gets to work with patients. “I sometimes try to see patients as children. It might sound funny, but it makes me more comfortable,” she adds. “It allows me to feel in control and able to provide comfort. I want to make my patients feel like we’re on the same team.” Her goal is to become a nurse anesthetist.
| |
|
LaGuardia Partners with NYC Department of Transportation to Host “Greenway Plaza Days” in Campaign to Convert 29th St into Campus Pedestrian Plaza
How do you lobby City Hall for a permanent street closure to create a safe campus haven and have fun at the same time? Try taking over 29th Street here in Long Island City and hosting a series of culturally diverse, informative, and entertaining programs for the public to enjoy. The events are designed to promote the LaGuardia Community Greenway, a collaborative effort launched by students in President’s Society Environment to create a new open space for students, faculty and staff, as well as the community. The eight LaGuardia Community Greenway Plaza Days taking place on Wednesdays during April, May, and June are an important component of the LaGuardia Community Greenway project. With the support of NYC DOT, the Greenway team is participating in the NYS Open Streets program. “Plaza Days” demonstrate community support for the Greenway and comply with DOT’s requirements for its Open Streets initiative.
| | | | |
