Meet the Staff

Mission Statement
The Center for Career Development strives to inspire and prepare all BMCC students and alumni to make informed decisions about their careers through counseling, teaching, and connection to networking opportunities.


 

Driada Rivas
Driada Rivas, Interim Director of Career Services
Driada has worked at City University of New York since 1999. She joined the BMCC Center for Career Development in 2007. She previously worked at Bronx Community College (BCC) as the Cooperative Work Experience/Internship Coordinator and was promoted to coordinator of Career Planning and Placement. She holds a Master’s degree in Science with a dual concentration in Counseling and Personnel Services and a Bachelor’s degree in Science with a concentration in Sociology from Fordham University. Driada was the job placement coordinator at the Career Planning and Placement Office at her alma mater from 1996-1999. Driada has 22 years of experience in the career development field.

  • Meets with: All students
  • Remote Appointments: Monday – Friday
  • In-Person Appointments: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

Jay Francisco
Jay Robert Francisco, Associate Director of Career Services
Jay Robert Francisco joined the Center for Career Development in January 2018 as a Senior Career Advisor. Jay brings 15 years of career services experience from his previous position at TCI College. He earned his Masters of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business Management from Drew University. Jay draws from his experience in career coaching, internships, employer relations, and teaching workshops. He has also worked in human resources, sales and marketing, and retail. Jay enjoys spending time with his family, listening to music, and watching and playing sports.

  • Meets with: All students
  • Remote Appointments: Monday – Friday
  • In-Person Appointments: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Katherine Bedoya
Katherine Bedoya, Senior Career Advisor
Katherine Bedoya joined the Center for Career Development in August 2015. As the employer relations assistant and then in October 2016, as the employer relations coordinator, she brings several years experience in employer relations, advising, and event coordinating. Katherine has recently accepted a new role within the Center for Career Development as a senior career advisor.  She received her Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate and Communications from Baruch College. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, art, and binge-watching TV shows.

  • Meets with: All students
  • Remote Appointments: Monday – Friday
  • In-Person Appointments: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Alessia Accardo
Alessia Accardo, CTE Career Advisor
Alessia has worked at the City University of New York since 2019. She joined the Center for Career Development as a brand new CTE Career Advisor in October of 2023. She previously worked for CUNY Stella and Charles Guttman Community College in their Internet Technology Helpdesk as an Internet Technology Ambassador College Assistant from 2019 to 2022. Then, in 2022 she was promoted to working in Guttman’s HUB Student Information Center from 2022 to 2023, where she was a HUB College Assistant helping students in areas of Admissions, Bursar, Financial Aid, and Registrar. She also received her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences from CUNY Stella and Charles Guttman Community College and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Relations from CUNY School of Professional Studies. In her spare time she loves giving back to the community, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and taking time to make the world a better place.

  • Meets with: Media Arts and Technology and the public sector (Nursing, Paramedic, Health Information Technology, Undeclared Health, and Health Informatics)
  • Remote Appointments: Monday – Friday
  • In-Person Appointments: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

Amy Rothenberg, CTE Career Advisor
Amy Rothenberg joined the Center for Career Development in November 2022 as a CTE Career Advisor. She brings extensive experience in career counseling and will be advising students interested in pursuing careers in the Public Service sector. Prior to BMCC, she worked as an Employment Counselor for the Job Corps Scholars program at CUNY Kingsborough Community College and at LIU Brooklyn in both Career Services and Employer and Alumni Engagement. Her background also includes work experience in Human Resources. Amy holds a MSEd in Guidance and Counseling from CUNY Hunter College and a BS in Education from the University of Maryland.

  • Meets with: Criminal Justice, Child Care-Early Childhood Education, Math and Science for Secondary Education, Gerontology, Human Services, Public Health, Small Business/Entrepreneurship, Community Health Education, and public sector (Respiratory Health, Undeclared Health, and Health Informatics)
  • Remote Appointments: Mondays – Fridays
  • In-Person Appointments: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays

Michelle Kismatali-Marrero, CTE Employer Relations Coordinator
Michelle Kismatali-Marrero joined the Center for Career Development in October 2023 as the Employer Relations Coordinator. Previously, Michelle worked at Seyfarth Shaw LLP as a Human Resources Coordinator and at the Center for Career Development as a College Assistant. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Baruch College, a SHRM-CP HR certification from the Society of Human Resource Management, and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from BMCC. In her spare time she enjoys watching movies, playing board games, trying new cuisines, and playing with her cat, Chewy.

    • Meets with: All CTE student majors
    • Remote Appointments: Mondays – Fridays
    • In-Person Appointments: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

Elizabeth Yan
Elizabeth Yan, Career Technology Specialist
Elizabeth Yan joined the Center for Career Development in October of 2016. She previously worked at the City University of New York at the College of Staten Island as a Social Media Assistant for the Center for Career and Professional Development. She earned her Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Science in International Trade and Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, traveling, and trying new cuisines with her family.

  • Meets with: All Students
  • Remote Appointments: Monday – Friday

Jaime Andres Diaz Granados, Career Development Assistant
Jaime Andres Diaz Granados joined the Center for Career Development in 2023. He is an international student of Jazz and Popular music at BMCC, where he has had the opportunity to perform in multiple recitals, concerts, events. musicals and plays. He continues to develop himself as a passionate and exciting artist while helping his BMCC community with the Center for Career Development.


Briana King Rhein, Career Development Assistant
Briana King Rhein joined the Center for Career Development team in October of 2022. Briana joined the Center for Career Development during her last semester at BMCC. Briana is currently studying Psychology. Briana enjoys spending her time reading and watching movies. She also enjoys drawing cartoon characters on her free time.


Alexis McFarlane, Career Development Assistant
Alexis McFarlane joined the BMCC Center for Career Development team as a Career Development Assistant in 2022. Prior to working at BMCC, she worked at the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development as a receptionist and administrative assistant. She is currently pursuing a Hospitality Management degree at City Tech. Alexis enjoys spending time with her family and friends, finding new restaurants to try all over NYC, and playing with her dog, Rocco.