March 31, 2022
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Science major Rajvinder Kaur has been named a Barry Goldwater Excellence in Education Foundation scholar for 2022. Kaur is the first BMCC student to receive the competitive scholarship. Among the five CUNY institutions represented among this year’s scholars, BMCC was the only community college.
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1986, the Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the United States. The mission of the Goldwater program is to identify and support college students who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation’s next generation of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering research leaders.
“The Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States,” said Sussie Gyamfi, Coordinator, BMCC Office of Scholarships, Awards and Other Opportunities. “Past winners have generally come from four-year institutions. I am so proud of Rajvinder for this accomplishment. I know she is well on her way to becoming a leader in her field.”
Kaur said the application process was intense. She wrote several essays and says she received support from Gyamfi throughout application process. Her faculty mentors, Science Professors José A. Fernández Romero and Hee Chul Lee, also provided guidance on her research essay.
“After BMCC, I will be transferring to a four-year institution to study neuroscience, and later I want to complete an M.D./Ph.D. in Neuroscience,” said Kaur. “I’ve applied to many ivy league institutions and private schools like Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Duke, Stanford, and many more.”
Kaur, who is now serving as President of BMCC’s Student Government Association, plans to be just as involved in different activities and student clubs at her next college as she has been at BMCC.
“I want to meet new people, gain experience and grow as an individual,” said Kaur. “I want to enjoy as well as prepare for the next step.”
Kaur’s career goal is to conduct research in clinical and cognitive neuroscience.
- Kaur is the first-ever BMCC student to receive the Barry Goldwater Scholarship
- Majority of Goldwater Scholars come from four-year institutions
- Scholarship program supports next generation of natural sciences, math, engineering and research professionals
