June 14, 2019
On June 13, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Out in Two scholarship program with a special alumni reunion at Fiterman Hall. The event included live music from The BMCC Jazz Ensemble—Seth Hershman on keyboard, David Milkis on Cello and Nova Luz, vocals.
Out in Two is an academic program that helps students graduate from BMCC within two consecutive years. To be eligible for Out in Two, students must be currently enrolled in a BMCC degree program as a freshman, and have completed 12 credits with a 3.0 minimum GPA.
Program benefits include funds for tuition, a book stipend, a dedicated academic advisor and trips to senior colleges as well as other academic and financial support.
“Out in Two is a very significant program designed by my predecessor, BMCC President Antonio Pérez,” said BMCC Interim President Karrin E. Wilks. “Out in Two is based on the highly successful cohort model. The program has shown an unprecedented rate of graduation—almost 90 percent within three years—both at BMCC and at the national level.”
Former program coordinator Allana Hanky Thomas called Out in Two “transformational.”
“We help transform students’ lives. The relationships they form working together on volunteer activities, studying together or working through personal challenges together, builds their confidence and skills that they take into new settings as they move forward with their academic goals and careers,” said Hanky Thomas.
Since its founding 20 years ago, the Out in Two has steadily expanded thanks to BMCC donor generosity.
“Out in Two at BMCC has grown significantly in the last two decades, thanks to support over the last two decades from generous funders including the BMCC Foundation, the Derfner Foundation, the Meringoff Family Foundation, the Eugene Lang Foundation and the Southpole Foundation,” said Matamoros.
More recently, Out in Two received a landmark $1 million gift from the the family of Herbert and Audrey Rosenfield. The gift was celebrated with a lobby naming ceremony reception in Fiterman Hall in May 2019.
Orville Ingram (Communication and Media Studies, ’03) an Out in Two graduate, attended the 20th Anniversary celebration. Ingram, who is now the assistant principal of special education and administration at Brooklyn Technical High School said, “Participating at BMCC as alumni of Out in Two helps us build a community of like-minded individuals who believe in the mission of the college.”
Yaritza Gonzalez, Manager Alumni Relations and Annual Fund said it was an honor to host the event.
“The alumni representation present spanned the full 20 years, ” Gonzales said. “It was incredible to see the impact BMCC and Out in Two had on their lives and careers. At the Alumni Relations office we look forward to creating more programming that engages these star alumni with current students. They are a true testament to the Start Here. Go Anywhere story.”
- Cohort program has unprecedented rate of graduation
- Out in Two program has expanded significantly thanks to donors
- Program recently received $1 million gift from Rosenfield fund
