Sara Crosby, Director
Advisement focus: I am interested in anything that helps BLA students learn, engage, connect, graduate, and then go on to take over the world.
Education: The New School with a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) and University of Iowa with a B.A. in English and a minor in Italian
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Birdwatching, reading, hanging out with my dog Andy, running, riding my bike around NYC
A quote that brightens my day is: “Freedom was a community laboring for something lovely and rare.”
― Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad
Kamilah Bass, Administrative Coordinator
Education: CUNY School of Professional Studies with an M.A. in Youth Studies and Syracuse University with a B.S. in Speech Communication and a minor of Child and Family Studies
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Listening to music (singing & humming along), eating/snacking, and doing 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzles
A quote that brightens my day is: “Spread Love, It’s the Brooklyn Way”
― The Notorious B.I.G.
Melanie Bonilla, Senior Academic Advisor
Advisement focus: Appreciative Advising is my jam.
Education: LIU: Hudson with an M.S. in Bilingual School Counseling and SUNY Purchase College with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology
Hometown: East Village, New York
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Playing basketball and reading to my pup, Jax
A quote that brightens my day is: Act as if what you do makes a difference because it does.
Nancy Cortes, Academic Advisor
Email: ncortes@bmcc.cuny.edu
Schedule an appointment with Nancy.
Advisement focus: Academic self-empowerment and self-advocacy
Education: Borough of Manhattan Community College with an Associates in Liberal Arts, and City College with a B.A. in Political Science.
Hometown: East Harlem, NY
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Watching movies, reading, hanging out with family and friends, strolling around my neighborhood, taking pictures, and trying new food around NYC!
A quote that brightens my day is: “Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it’s very important that you do it…”
― Ghandi
John Huie, Early Alert Specialist
Education: Fordham University with a B.A. in Information Science
Hometown: Queens, New York
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Competitive Paintball, Photography, Technology
James Nadeau, Associate Director of Enrollment and Engagement
Advisement focus: I believe each student is a unique individual, and I prefer to get to know my students and what makes them tick. I am particularly passionate about transfer guidance and career development, and love helping my students work toward a future that is fulfilling.
Education: Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies and Teachers College, Columbia with an M.A. in Higher and Postsecondary Education
Hometown: Leominster, MA
Interests/What I’m usually up to: Reading, running, hiking, kayaking
A quote that brightens my day is: “And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.” ― John Muir
Bouampoundi Brigitte Thiombiano, Academic Advisor
Advisement focus: I approach advising as I do life—with courage, empathy and a deep commitment to student success. My goal is to help students navigate their path, amplify their voices and confidently overcome challenges.
Education: City College of New York with a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Community Change and Hostos Community College with an A.S. in Business Management
Hometown: Burkina Faso (by birth), West Harlem, New York City (by heart)
Interests/What I’m usually up to: I enjoy learning about NYC’s history, trying different foods, mentoring future leaders, and discovering new walking and hiking trails.
A quote that brightens my day is: “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough” — Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ashley Wright, Academic Advisor
Advisement focus: Ensuring students reach/exceed their academic goals all whilst staying on the path to becoming a well-rounded individual.
Education: Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Communication
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Interests/What I’m usually up to: I enjoy binging a good show or watching movies, reading an interesting book and trying new foods.
A quote that brightens my day is: We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh.” – William James
BMCC Learning Academy
70 Murray Street, Room M-1413
New York, NY 10007
Email: bmccla@bmcc.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 346-8640
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
