 |  | As they say, you should have been there. I’m talking about the LaGuardia Commencement on Wednesday, June 21. We held it at Queens College in Kew Gardens Hills, as we did last year. An important feature of QC’s 80-acre campus is its large quad, which is flanked by Spanish-style buildings from the early 20th Century. The quad is perfect for a graduation like LaGuardia’s – as long as you are not the one who has to unfold 5,000 white plastic chairs and place them in perfect rows across the lawn. One of the reasons we favor it – once the chairs, stage, and sound system are all set up – is that the quad has the vibe of a classic commencement. It creates an ambiance of academic purpose that honors our graduates and their achievements – a space that encourages both seriousness and celebration, and on Wednesday we had plenty of the latter. It also supports a point that I try to make in my remarks – that earning a LaGuardia Associate degree is an important accomplishment, but it should not be our students’ last academic credential. For career success and fulfilling lives they must continue their educations and get their Bachelor’s Degrees. Guess which CUNY four-year college welcomes the greatest number of LaGuardia transfer students each September? (It has a lovely quad.)
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Awards LaGuardia Community College $4.5M to Cultivate Next Generation of Food and Agriculture Professionals
I'm happy to report that LaGuardia is receiving $4.5 million in support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to develop a program to prepare future professionals in the field of food and agriculture. The project is under the leadership of LaGuardia biology professor Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, and colleagues from Rutgers University, who we have partnered with on this work. This is a tremendous achievement that will open the doors of access for our urban students to high-paying careers in veterinary medicine, companion animal science, wildlife science, equine science, laboratory animal science, animal-assisted therapy, animal genetics and breeding, and pet adoption counseling, among other opportunities.
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LaGuardia Community College Graduates 2,000+ at Commencement for Class of 2023
Last week's celebration of the Class of 2023 honored the hard work of nearly 2,000 students, along with the faculty and staff that taught, guided and provided assistance to these new alums. Thousands of guests were present, including graduates’ family members and friends, CUNY leadership, elected officials, community members, and college supporters. In particular, everyone enjoyed the inspiring speeches given by Gian Castro and Min Young Kim, our two class representatives. Unfortunately, New York State Assembly Member Patricia Fahy who was scheduled to be the keynote speaker, could not attend because Assembly was called to session; however she provided a video message for the graduates.
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LaGuardia Celebrates Commitment to Graduate and Train 3,000 Heroes in Healthcare
We are also proud to recognize the students that are part of our "3,000 Heroes" initiative, which aims to train and graduate 3,000 frontline healthcare workers over the next five years. Launched last fall with $5 million in funding support secured by Council Member Julie Won and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, this initiative helps LaGuardia continue to lead training for healthcare professionals in New York City. We recently celebrated the academic achievements of graduates in Registered Nursing, Licensed Practical Nursing (pictured above) and Therapeutic Recreation (pictured below).
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Celebrating High School Equivalency Completion
On June 20 the Adult Basic Skills program celebrated students who earned their High School Equivalency diploma – an important step in their personal and professional development. These graduates now have transferable skills that will help them prosper in life, gain employment in a variety of industries, and foster a lifetime of learning (possibly at our favorite community college). It was wonderful to congratulate them in-person and serve as their keynote speaker.
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AEIP Graduation Ceremony
Up next, this week LaGuardia will celebrate graduates from the American Sign Language English Interpretation Program. AEIP, as it is known, is a rigorous two-year academic program that prepares students to become ASL-English interpreters, with a special focus on interpreting in educational settings. This is a wonderful accomplishment and I congratulate the graduates on their hard work and dedication.
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ASAP Pinning Ceremony Celebrates Graduates and Advisors
LaGuardia hosted its ASAP Pinning Ceremony in the Main Stage Theater on June 12 to celebrate the achievements of graduates in the program, and to recognize their advisors. ASAP is designed to help motivated community college students stay on track and graduate on time. I congratulate the ASAP graduates and their advisors on a job well done!
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LaGuardia Plays Key Role in Pride Month Celebrations
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to march with members of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium, which was honored as Marshal, at the Queens Pride Parade through Forest Hills. The Consortium was represented by many, including co-directors Dr. Allie Brashears, who is an associate professor at LaGuardia, and JC Carlson from Queens College. We were joined by Queens College President Frank Wu and Queensborough Community College President Christine Mangino. Additionally, the eighth and final Greenway event at LaGuardia focused on Pride Month. It was moved indoors due to the air quality alert in the area, but that did not stop the LaGuardia community from celebrating with live music and entertainment, a tie-dye station, giveaways, and a photo booth.
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LaGuardia Welcomes Community to Greenway Plaza
Speaking of the Greenway Plaza, I want to thank the volunteers, partners, students, faculty and staff who supported our eight-week series. Each week we celebrated a different theme, from Mental Health and Cinco de Mayo, to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and a Career Expo in partnership with the Hispanic Federation – our events were a success because of our community!
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Closing Sessions Offers Campus Community Overview of Enrollment and College Services
At Closing Sessions, students, faculty, and staff were invited to hear from members of the administration and learn about the college’s recent achievements and initiatives. I was joined by Provost Billie Gastic Rosado who shared updates from academic programs and stepped in to share information about Adult Continuing Education for Vice President Sunil Gupta, who was unable to attend. Additionally, Vice President for Enrollment Management Benjamin Rohdin provided details on our enrollment status and discussed ideas for approaches to keep our enrollment on the right track.
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