United by a Shared Mission, BMCC Donors and Community Members Come Together and Raise Funds at Annual Gala

(L-R) Karen Wilson-Stephenson, John Sutter, Khady Kamara Nunez, President Anthony E. Munroe
(L-R) Karen Wilson-Stephenson, John Sutter, Khady Kamara Nunez, President Anthony E. Munroe.

October 24, 2024

Lower Manhattan’s spectacular Perelman Performing Art Center (PAC NYC) was the setting for the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Foundation’s annual scholarship fundraising Gala on October 22. This year’s event, “Invest in a Future: Transform a Life,” included performances from BMCC music students, testimonials from student scholars and remarks from Gala honorees as well as College leadership.

The Gala also featured a reading from BMCC student and National Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco and performances by BMCC Music students. Emmy-award-winning television journalist Cindy Hsu emceed the event.

“Tonight, we’re united by a shared mission— to make education accessible and create a brighter future for all,” said Ms. Hsu in her scene-setting opening remarks. “By being here, you’re making an investment in the dreams of countless students.”

BMCC Foundation Board Members Support Life Changing Scholarships

Since its inception, the BMCC Foundation has awarded more than 6,000 scholarships totaling over $13 million.

BMCC Foundation Board Chair Anthony Portanese said the generous support of the Gala’s donors turns the promise of BMCC’s slogan—Start Here, Go Anywhere—into reality.

“Your generosity is more than just a donation—it’s an investment in action,” said Mr. Portanese, who is also the Managing Director and Chief Human Resources Officer at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. “It’s an investment in the future of New Yorkers and the strength of our workforce.”

BMCC Foundation Board member and Gala Chair Jessica Gatti told the donors that what unites them is profoundly important—the future of students who without the BMCC Foundation, might never get the opportunity to unlock their true potential.

“Scholarships at BMCC aren’t just nice-to haves, they’re lifelines,” said Ms. Gatti, who noted that many BMCC students are often balancing jobs and other life challenges.

John Sutter, President, Canal Street Associates LLC and BMCC Foundation Board, secretary and treasurer as well as Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director, Perelman Performing Arts Center were this year’s gala honorees.

Mr. Sutter is also a founding funder and advocate for BMCC’s Project Impact, a program designed to provide wraparound support and educational services including mentoring to students who have been impacted by the justice system.

In addition to thanking other Foundation Board members, including long-time supporter Elizabeth Butson, during his welcoming remarks, BMCC President, Dr. Anthony E. Munroe called Mr. Sutter the driving force behind BMCC’s Project Impact, one of BMCC’s most transformative programs.

“This year, we’ve taken Project Impact a step further through a partnership with the Institute for Justice and Opportunity art John Jay College (CUNY) and the Prison-to-College pathways program at Otisville Correctional Facility,” said President Munroe. “This is an example of how BMCC uses education as a powerful tool for social change, offering justice impacted individuals a path toward a brighter future.”

The President said what matters most is the impact we at BMCC are having on individuals and communities.

“The increased earnings of BMCC alumni and the businesses they work for have generated over $1 billion in added income and created nearly 9,000 jobs,” said President Munroe. “That is the tangible, real-world impact of the education and opportunities that BMCC provides.”

Gala Honorees Open Doors for Student

Gala honoree John Sutter told the audience that he was happy to be among individuals who recognize the tremendous opportunity a community college such as BMCC offers.

“I moved to lower Manhattan 30 years ago, and I met our preeminent board member, Elizabeth Butson in 1999, she told me about BMCC,” said Mr. Sutter who joined the Foundation board in 2017. “We launched Project Impact in 2018 with funding from Elizabeth Butson, the BMCC Foundation and the Pinkerton Foundation.”

Honoree Khady Kamara Nunez received the 2024 Award of Excellence for elevating BMCC student’s educational experiences and becoming an integral part of the BMCC community.

“Khady has been an exceptional partner through the Anchor Alliance between PAC NYC and BMCC,” said Karen Wilson-Stevenson, BMCC Foundation Chief Operating Officer and Interim Vice President of the Office of Institutional Advancement. “Whether it’s performing on the lobby stage of PAC NYC or working directly with seasoned arts professionals, our students have been given the exposure that is simply unparalleled.”

“I am so incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with BMCC, building our relationship together, to make an indelible impact on student lives and the Downtown community,” said Nunez.

“Thank you to the staff and faculty who have worked so closely with the PAC NYC team to make such a difference and most importantly, thank you to the BMCC students, you are the future of the performing arts, and we are so proud to be part of your present.”

Project Impact Creates Opportunity for Justice Impacted Students

Project Impact Scholar Ricardo Solano told the audience that his journey to this moment had been long and challenging.

Solano, who was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican immigrant parents who despite many challenges, found solace and purpose serving his country in the U.S. Navy, getting married and having a child.

His marriage ended in divorce, and then he found himself spiraling and struggled with addiction and spent time un-housed and was in and out of correctional facilities.

“Reflecting on my life from a jail cell, I could hardly believe that a man who served his country, was now serving time in prison,” said Mr. Solano who was released in 2016 and a year later, had found a job. “But I felt something was missing, and during a conversation with my adult daughter, and she suggested I go back to school.”

Mr. Solano, who worked near BMCC and wanted to enroll, but he didn’t see a clear path. He was worried his record might prohibit him from attending. But then he visited the BMCC website, found information about Project Impact and reached out by phone to Project Impact Assistant Director Olga Milman.

“Thanks to Project Impact, the door to BMCC flew open, this incredible program offered me the support, providing me with the confidence and guidance I needed to succeed in college and in life,” said Mr. Solano who was admitted as a Business Administration major in Summer 2023. “Yes, I was that person you might have seen lying down on a bench in the subway, or a park, but I’m standing here today to show you the impact of your generosity.”

Currently, Solano has a grade point average of 3.83, he’s on the Dean’s list and when he graduates with the class of 2025, he says he is considering Columbia University as his next step.

Solano closed by quoting the novelist and poet George Elliot: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Student Scholars Tyra Neal, a BMCC alumna now studying journalism at Baruch College (CUNY) as well as Mark Crawford, who graduated from BMCC this past June and is now a Robotics major at the City College of New York (CUNY) both spoke during the event.

The event concluded with a performance of “Again, I Say Rejoice,” by student Israel Houghton.

Click here to learn more about ways to support BMCC students.

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For more BMCC student success stories, watch this video about a family with three generations of BMCC alumni.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Gala Honorees include Project Impact founding funder John Sutter

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