Future Finance Professional Lewis Welt Finds Opportunity and Acceptance at BMCC

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Business Administration major Lewis Welt moved to New York from Taiwan at the age of 18. “I decided to come to New York to pursue a degree in theatre,” Welt says. “I dropped out in my third year, because I was figuring things out, and eventually made a move to Fiji to join my family.”

It was there, in the Republic of Fiji, that Welt had an opportunity to work at a start-up finance company, and this changed the direction of his goals.

“After working with people who were not well versed in financial documents, and in managing their own finances — that really touched me, and it’s something I want to carry forward in my education,” Welt says.

To re-engage with his education and focus on his new direction, Welt selected BMCC “because I was looking at affordability, reputation and location — and BMCC satisfied all three categories.”

Like many students, he focused at the onset on bringing up his skills. “I struggled a little bit with math, and started with a remedial course in my first semester,” says Welt, who also took advantage of the BMCC Learning Resource Center — which has since converted its services to a virtual format. “The tutors there are phenomenal,” he said.

Another opportunity Welt found at BMCC was to participate in the Goldman Sachs Local College Collaborative, a program created by the firm to support local students and colleges and to assist workforce development. Participants meet with professionals from the global banking and investment firm, and work together to address a series of business case scenarios. They also attend a speaker series.

“I got an email that had been circulated among the entire campus community to join this opportunity, the Goldman Sachs Local Community College Program and I was extremely blessed to be in this program,” Welt says. “This program has been eye-opening, in terms of giving us a broader picture of the financial industry; what they’re looking for, and we attended great speaker events. It helped solidify my interests, my passion and my goal toward finance.”

Welt, a person of short stature, also recommends BMCC because of its environment of inclusion.

“As a minority, and this is a school of many minorities — whether you come from a different country, whether you have some type of disability, this school is a very accepting school where I haven’t encountered anyone giving me a hard time, and I think that that’s a huge plus to this school.”

At BMCC, Welt says, he has felt encouraged and accepted. “People will support you along the way, and no one’s going to hold you back,” he says. “If you’re thinking about coming to a school with an open environment, an accepting environment, BMCC is the place to be.”

Related News: BMCC Hosts Goldman Sachs Local College Collaborative Working Group