This is another story in a series of articles about BMCC student scholars. This ongoing series focuses on students with high grade point averages, who have either overcome personal barriers and /or have contributed to the co-educational life of the college.
On his first visit to the United States in 2005, Giovanni Gentile fell in love.
“I came to New York on a 21-day summer vacation trip and decided this was where I wanted to live,” says the Sicilian-born Gentile, who graduated from BMCC in December with a degree in multimedia programming. When he returned to the States, the following January, he wasted no time enrolling in an intensive English-language course, passing his TOEFL exams six months later and beginning his studies at BMCC. He has never looked back.
Creating content, telling stories
“I started out in computer science major but switched majors when I discovered the amazing world of multimedia,” he says. “It turned out to be a great decision One of the best things about this field is the opportunity to create art from scratch—to use the full range of audio and video media to create content and tell a story.” It also helps to have teachers who are well-prepared and well-versed in their subject. “My professors have been great—and the small classes have allowed for a real dialogue between the teachers and students,” he says.
Gentile is currently interning at the Tribeca Film Festival, “learning about the working world,” and plans to begin working toward a Bachelors’ degree in multimedia at City College in the fall. Outside the classroom, he has worked as a volunteer tutor in CUNY’s College Now program, tutoring college-bound high school students. Ultimately, he hopes to pursue a career in Web design.
“When I first came to BMCC, I knew absolutely nothing about Web design,” he says. “Now I can build a Web design from scratch.”
