On March 8, a ceremony in Theatre 2 recognized the Spring 2018 Out in Two inductees—a cohort of almost 80 scholars committed to their own academic careers as well as to giving back to the college community through volunteer efforts.
Karrin E. Wilks, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, welcomed the inductees. Marva Craig, Vice President of Student Affairs and Erwin Wong, Dean of Academic Programs and Instruction delivered congratulatory remarks.
Guest speaker Marcus Dargan, a BMCC alumnus and former member of Out in Two, told the new cohort of inductees about his own experience with the program.
After graduating from BMCC, Dargan co-founded the NuAfrikan Theatre, part of the Harlem Arts Alliance, and has built a career as a performer, writer and director. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Theatre at BMCC.
As a BMCC student, Dargan didn’t have financial aid and read most of his textbooks at the campus library. “Being awarded the Out in Two Scholarship definitely relieved the financial burden of pursuing my academic goals,” he says.
The Out of Two scholarship enabled Dargan to complete his associate degree and work closely with staff members including Freda McClean, the former Director of the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center, and Professor Diane Dowling, who provided guidance as he directed his first play, the musical Pippin.
In Fall 2013, Dargan was BMCC’s first Associate of Science in Theatre graduate. “If I had not received the Out in Two Scholarships, I wonder if I would have remained at BMCC to accomplish all that I had as a student here,” he says.
A supportive, successful community of scholars
The BMCC Out in Two scholarship program provides a supportive community to help high-achieving students graduate within two years and transfer to a senior college.
“This is the largest cohort of Out in Two scholars since the program started in 1999,” says Out in Two Program Coordinator Jonathan Matamoros. “Though each of these scholars have different passions and goals, they all have a desire to give back. I look forward to seeing how those desires unfold during their time here at BMCC, and beyond.”
“Almost all, or more than 90 percent of our Out in Two graduates go on to four-year colleges,” says Out in Two Program Assistant Coordinator Richard Naughton. “They work closely with an Out in Two advisor to create and follow a graduation plan, and along with maintaining their academic standing, they complete at least seven hours of community service per semester.”
That community service could take the form of tutoring high school students or helping out with events on the BMCC campus.
Out in Two at BMCC has doubled in the last few years. That growth been supported by generous donations from the BMCC Foundation, the Derfner Foundation and the Meringoff Family Foundation.
Spring 2018 scholars A-F
Marianna Aceves, Alexandra Ahmed, Natalia Alonzo Nunez, Armando Angeles, Natan Ashkenazi, Marcley Auguste, Anthony Loza Ayala, Elsie Bacat, Keannu Barker, David Barranger, Barry Boynton, Jomel Brito, Mikhail Broomes, Samantha Burton, Junyao Cao, Yanwu Chen, Yareli Cortes, Rene Cyrille, Janaie Clarke, Danielle Cobb-King, Ngagne Diouf, Daniel Douse, Eric Fiammetta, Sadie Foster, Anna Franco Solano, Kennedy Freeman.
Spring 2018 scholars G-M
Isaiah Gargiulo, Ayana Gentles, Loraine Gonzales, Nyah Gordon, Rivka Gribov, Shamar Griffith, Elias Gross, Claudia Guerrero, Adam Haddad, Kyra Henry, Wai Hing Fung, Tiffany Hyman, Hamna Ihtesham, Nathalie Jimenez Rivera, Dacia John, Ikesha Johnson, Marijana Kaljevicova, Hyomin Kim, Vladislav Kim, Andrew Lavryshyn, Wenjie Liao, Ariel Lyew, Elvina McLean, Frances Miro, Osamh Mohamed, Adaley Munoz.
Spring 2018 scholars N-Z
Sofie Nika, Dakota Oliveira, Joseph Panzarino, Veronica Perez, Viktoriia Petriv, Sandra Plumaj, Chelsea Portorreal, Charles Reid, Alex Juarez Rodriguez, Ana Rodriguez, Brian Romero, Tora Rozario, Jaylyn Salcedo, Jiana Santos, Shamma Siddika, Jennifer Tapia, Silas Taylor, Francesca Theodore, Shandola Thompson, Zhongai Shi, Zhongen Shi, Myat Thu Ko, Talisa Velazquez Grossman, Tammy Velasquez, Brianna Vasquez, Melanie Vazquez, Brielle Webb, Qinquan Wu.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Out in Two provides academic support to high-achieving students who commit to graduating in two years
- Scholars receive a full tuition scholarship and are part of a supportive community including faculty and staff who mentor their progress
- Scholars volunteer as tutors, help coordinate campus events and provide other service to the community
