Ana Maria T. Guerra Sarmiento grew up in Colombia and moved to New York in 2018. Now majoring in Translation and Interpretation in Spanish, she also works as a college assistant in the Modern Languages department and serves as a Supplementary Instructor in a Spanish class at BMCC. Her inspiration, she says, is her late father, who encouraged her to complete her studies. Now 34 years old, Ms. Sarmiento first attended college in Colombia where she studied advertising, and worked as a sales associate for six years. Once she graduates from BMCC, she plans to apply to Hunter College, CUNY and build a career working in United Nations as an interpreter.

Business Administration major Fulgencio Rivas was born in Queens, New York, and lived in Mexico from the age of 10 to 16, at which point he returned to New York, completed high school and worked to pay his living expenses. Today as a BMCC student, Mr. Rivas works as general manager of restaurant/bar and specialty market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His college years have been interrupted by time he took time off to grieve the loss of his father, and to wait out the Covid pandemic. “Online learning was a challenge for me,” says Mr. Rivas. “I decided to return to BMCC when in-person classes became an option again.” After graduating from BMCC, he plans to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. “My dream is to attend Columbia University, with a major in Economics,” he says. “My end goal is to attend Columbia’s MBA program, with emphasis in new technologies such as machine learning, and how it will change how people do business.” Receiving the BMCC Foundation Scholarship, he says, “has opened my eyes to the possibility that more even more opportunities are available to me. I will continue to work hard in and apply to many more scholarships.”

Science for Health major Gleydy Esmeralda Mora Aquino grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She moved to New York in 2023 and has benefited from the emotional support of her family, including her uncle, who taught her about resiliency as he fought a fatal illness, and her sister-in-law who welcomed her to her home in New York. “She saw the potential in me,” says Ms. Aquino, who aspires to eventually pursue a master’s degree and become a Physician’s Assistant. “My interactions with healthcare professionals who cared for my uncle when he was suffering, inspired me to nurture these qualities within myself. I want to be that support for others. That is why I want to be a critical care provider in a hospital setting.” The BMCC Foundation Scholarship has also been an inspiration for Ms. Aquino. “This scholarship means so much more to me than financial aid. It represents a belief in my potential and my future. It has allowed me to continue pursuing my dream of becoming a healthcare professional and brought me closer to that goal.”

“I grew up in NYC and have lived in Stuyvesant Town on 20th Street and FDR for my entire life,” says Communications Studies major Joseph Singleton-Hauser. “I identify as a person with disabilities. The biggest challenge I have overcome is to be okay with exactly who I am, despite moving differently in the world.” Mr. Singleton-Hauser attended a small liberal arts college before transferring to BMCC in Fall 2023. He is now submitting applications to bachelor’s degree programs at several CUNY schools: City College, Baruch, Hunter, Brooklyn College, Queens College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “My career goal is to use my communications skills to help others through advocacy or direct services,” he says. A recipient of the BMCC Foundation Scholarship, “It feels terrific to be recognized for my academic work and to be understood as a person who learns differently,” he says. “Being awarded the scholarship has given me new confidence in myself.”

Khant Su Yin Win (who goes by “Abigail”) grew up in Burma and moved to New York in August 2023, enrolling at BMCC as a Computer Information Systems major that fall. Ms. Win had graduated from high school in Burma in 2017, then entered a local university and studied engineering information technology. “However, the COVID-19 outbreak happened when I was in my third year and after that, it was followed by a coup. There were riots and revolution all over the country. The schools were shut down and I had to take a break from the university.” Through these difficult times, and still today, her mother is her biggest inspiration. “Since she didn’t get a chance to study higher education when she was younger, she always supports me to study abroad and encourages me support my community,” says Ms. Win, whose plans to graduate from BMCC then transfer to City College of Technology. Her career goal is to become a software engineer. “I’m interested in solving problems step by step using code and my software developing skills,” she says. Being awarded the BMCC Foundation Scholarship has provided critical financial support and enabled her academic journey to become a software engineer who pays it forward, helping others.

Muhammad Abu Hanif grew up in Bangladesh and moved to New York in 2022. His major at BMCC is Computer Network Technology, and he works as an Impact Peer Mentor at BMCC, assisting other students in their coursework. With a career goal of working in IT, he is still considering the pathways that a degree in network technology would make possible. “When I received the BMCC Foundation Scholarship, I felt incredibly grateful and motivated. It was a huge relief to have financial support, as it allowed me to focus more on my academic journey.

Shaodan Lun enrolled as a Computer Science major at BMCC in January 2022, having moved to New York from Anyang, China the previous year. To counterbalance the culture shock and language challenges she encountered, Ms. Lun joined school clubs, made a study plan and worked hard to improve her English. One of her top supporters has been Mathematics Professor Ivan Retamoso. “He completely understood how I felt and reassured me that language is not the biggest challenge—the biggest challenge is how you see yourself and what kind of future you want. He encouraged me to keep learning, saying many things happen step by step.” Ms. Lun sees herself in a career as a software engineer, and wants to design a support platform for women. Being awarded the BMCC Foundation Scholarship “eased some of my financial burden,” she says. “It motivated me to keep moving forward, pursuing my goals.”

Thanittha Srisen is majoring in Science for Health majors and plans to enter the BMCC Nursing program in Spring 2025. She grew up in Thailand, and moved to New York in 2021. “The biggest challenge I have overcome is living in a foreign country by myself,” says Ms. Srisen. “It is a huge challenge to study something new where English is not my first language and also adjusting to the culture and lifestyle in New York City.” A source of inspiration for her has been her best friend, a divorced single mother who works several jobs. “She has shown me that even if life gets hard, we can pull through.” After completing the Nursing program at BMCC, she plans to continue with her higher education and eventually earn a doctoral degree. “I am interested in three nursing specialties: certified registered nurse anesthetist, neonatal nurse practitioner and surgical nurse practitioner.” Receiving the BMCC Foundation scholarship has alleviated the financial burden of college, she says, and motivated her to focus and work harder. “I am committed to maintaining a high level of academic excellence and using my skills and knowledge to contribute positively to society.”

Engineering Science major Nana O. FrempongManso moved to New York in 2021. “I grew up in Ghana, West Africa, where I was surrounded by a strong community that values education and collective growth,” she says. “One of the biggest challenges I faced was adapting to a new culture and academic environment. It required a lot of resilience and openness to change, but it has been an enriching experience.” In addition to attending BMCC, Ms. Manso works as a direct support professional at residence for adults. Her career goal is to become a civil engineer specializing in sustainable infrastructure. “I hope to contribute to projects that bring essential services to underdeveloped communities,” she says, and adds that her greatest inspiration has been her mother. “She is extremely hardworking, and her drive is incredibly motivating,” says Ms. Manso. After graduating from BMCC, she plans to transfer to either New York University or Columbia University to continue her studies in civil engineering. Receiving the BMCC Foundation Scholarship has been a “transformative experience,” she says. “It lifted a financial burden and allowed me to focus on my studies. It also made me feel more deeply connected to the BMCC community, knowing that there are people who believe in my potential and are willing to support my journey.”

Psychology major Daniella Maytal grew up in Israel, moved to New York in 2018 and enrolled in BMCC at the age of 31. “I wanted a fresh start and to experience this unique city,” she says. Ms. Maytal works as a full-time operations manager for a startup company that makes a smart device to help people manage their anxiety. Someone who has inspired her, Ms. Maytal says, is her therapist. “She allowed me to overcome my fears and push forward with my dreams, including becoming a therapist myself, which led me to enroll in college,” she says. Her next step will be to apply to bachelor’s degree programs in psychology at Hunter College, CUNY, as well as NYU, Yale and UPENN. “Lately I am leaning towards brain research,” she says. “I am very interested in the Gut-Brain connection and the microbiome field.” Meanwhile, she says, the BMCC Scholarship has not only been a financial help, “it’s also a confidence boost and keeps me working hard to earn high grades.”