Meet some of the remarkable women and men

in The City College of New York Class of 2020.

In this era of COVID-19, the world has changed

in unprecedented ways, and City College’s
students have finished this academic year
knowing that their experiences will be shared for
generations to come.

The students chosen for this year’s Great Grads

excel in the classroom, have personal stories
that inspire us, and illustrate the transformative
power of the City Experience. They were
nominated by their CCNY mentors and represent
all schools and divisions of the college.

Among them are graduates poised to make great

contributions in fields as varied as structural
engineering, Early Childhood Education,
landscape architecture and medicine. They’ve
faced and prevailed against challenges
including war, disability, domestic violence and
institutionalized racism on the path to becoming
public servants, policy makers, and teachers for
change.

Editor: Susan Konig

Writers: Ashley Arocho, Susan Konig & Jay Mwamba
Designer: Joann Huang

GREAT GRADS IS DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED BY THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
 Benjamin
Akhavan
BArch, Architectural History & Theory
Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture
Macaulay Honors College

“City College has given me the confidence to excel.

I’ve been caught between languages and cultures,
and I chose to study architecture because of its
ability to transcend borders—both literal and
cultural.”

Benjamin Akhavan’s parents came to the United States as “With every challenge, there is opportunity. As the first
political refugees during the Iranian revolution in search in my family to pursue a design degree, I had to learn how
of an inclusive way of life. As a Jewish-Iranian American, to navigate the unique structure of architecture school,”
Akhavan’s culture inspired him to pursue architecture at said Akhavan. “That propelled me to reach out to friends,
The City College of New York. advisers, and professors, which allowed me to create
lifelong relationships and discover new mentors where I
“City College has given me the confidence to excel,” said otherwise would not have.”
the Macaulay Honors College student. “I’ve been caught
between languages and cultures, and I chose to study Akhavan pursued study abroad in architecture at the
architecture because of its ability to transcend borders— Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel,
both literal and cultural.” and more recently, he co-founded Future Architects of the
Middle East, an organization fostering dialogue concerning
He maintained a 3.9 GPA while balancing school work, a Middle Eastern architecture.
two-hour commute, extracurricular activities and a part-
time job as an assistant designer for Exhibition Design He has been awarded the Sciame Design Scholarship
& Production at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). and will attend Columbia University’s Graduate School
He also served as president of the CCNY chapter of the of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, in pursuit of
American Institute of Architecture Students, as student a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design.
liaison to the Architectural Alumni Board, and as a teaching He would like to teach architecture someday and open a
assistant for advanced architecture courses. design practice that can positively contribute to the built
environment.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 2

 Propa
Akter
BSEd, Childhood Education
School of Education

“I represent the overcoming of obstacles and the

hustle it takes to become successful in New York
that only City College students understand.”

A first-generation immigrant born in Bangladesh and P.S. 107, an afterschool group leader for Aspira of New York,
raised in the Bronx, Propa Akter is the first in her family to and as a tutor and mentor at Bronx Community College. “I
graduate from college. am grateful that my supervisors were always supportive of
my pursuit of education.”
But when Akter graduated from Brooklyn Tech High school
in 2010, she did not have a clear idea about what academic Multiple cultural identities and diversity are key to her
or career path to pursue. She began her studies at York mission. As a member of the Young Muslim Sisters youth
College and then received her associate’s degree at Bronx group in her community, she conducted homeless kit
Community College (BCC). Working as an embedded drives and planned domestic violence awareness and anti-
tutor in education courses at BCC, she found her calling. bullying events. She is a member of New York City Men
Teach, a CCNY partnership with the city that aims to
“I didn’t always believe that I could become a teacher, but increase the number of minority teachers in NYC public
my advisors at BCC and then at CCNY told me I could school classrooms.
expand, and gave me the confidence to believe I could do
it.” Growing up in a lower socioeconomic immigrant
community, being educated in the public school system and
Akter is driven to give back to the community that raised even taking a break from college, Akter says, “I represent the
her and work with underrepresented students with special overcoming of obstacles and the hustle it takes to become
needs or English Language Learners in the New York successful in New York that only City College students
City school system. “The Department of Education is my understand.”
passion and my people,” she said.
She is committed to teaching in the city’s public schools
Studying Childhood Education at City College’s School of but is keeping her options open to one day teach abroad.
Education, Akter has balanced three part-time jobs while “I learn more about myself in the process,” Akter says of
maintaining a 3.7 GPA: as a substitute paraprofessional at teaching in the public schools. “That’s the magical part.”

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 3

 Gina
Bravo
BS, Psychology and Sociology
Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
Seek Program

“The encouraging community at CCNY has

constantly pushed me to further develop into an
ambitious scholar, both eager to engage and always
ready to learn.”

Gina Bravo, a native of Washington Heights, was raised by at Literacy Partners where she taught English to low-
parents who left Mexico in search of economic prosperity income parents.
and educational opportunities. Throughout her teenage
years, she searched for answers to topics such as gender Bravo participated in the S Jay Levy Fellowship for
roles and social norms that were rarely talked about in her Future Leaders and the SEEK Research Fellows Program
community. where she is an EEG lead. She helps analyze the effects
of the smartphone-based mindfulness training using
“Due to a beauty standard followed in Mexico, my skin electrocardiogram recordings.
was bleached at age fifteen,” said Bravo, a first-generation
student. “The awareness I had of such practices initiated “As I continue my studies, I am continuously reminded
my interest in different societal and environmental factors of the importance of diversity on campus and the ways it
impacting the types of messages my community was enriches our education,” said Bravo, who was inducted into
receiving.” the Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society (XAE).
“The encouraging community at CCNY has constantly
That incident ignited Bravo’s passion for studying pushed me to further develop into an ambitious scholar,
psychology and sociology at The City College of New York both eager to engage and always ready to learn.”
where she was accepted into the SEEK Program, a higher
educational opportunity program that provides academic She plans to continue working in the research field and apply
and financial support to students. to a PhD program in psychology. Her goal is to increase
healthy discussions about the need for diversity and
Her interest in community service grew as she became a research as well as the types of challenges first-generation
mentor to first-year students in the CCNY Bottom Line students face throughout their academic careers.
Program. She continued to show her dedication to serving
her community in the CUNY Service Corps program She is the second person in her family to graduate from
where she worked on projects that focused on NYC’s most CCNY. Her brother, Hector Bravo, also graduated from
urgent needs, and as an adult education program assistant CCNY in 2016.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 4

 Kereen
Brown
BS, Early Childhood Education
Division for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center
for Worker Education

“CWE is a special place… Classmates become like

family and the faculty are extremely supportive and
drive you to succeed.”

Like a champion prizefighter who’s overcome the toughest an outstanding student even amidst her tumultuous life,
of challengers to triumph, Kereen Brown can revel in her BS graduating top of her high school class. Still working full
degree in Early Childhood Education from the Center for time, Brown began two years of academic excellence at
Worker Education with immense pride. In her senior year, CWE as she laid the foundation for a new career.
the Women’s Forum of New York recognized the single
mother of three for her perseverance by presenting her In another lifechanging decision, she harnessed the courage
with a $10,000 fellowship. The awards go to high-potential to file for a divorce. “I was finally able to see clearly into a
women, age 35 and over, who’ve made extraordinary efforts new future,” said the Jamaica, West Indies native, hailing
to overcome extreme adversity disrupting their lives and CWE for helping her realize her dream. “It’s a special place,
education. unique because of its intimate setting. Classmates become
like family and the faculty are extremely supportive and
Brown’s struggles started early. A victim of childhood drive you to succeed.”
abuse, she became a teenage mother and, when faced with
possible homelessness, dropped out of Hunter College to The Queens resident completed her coursework in Dec.
work. 2019 with a 3.92 GPA and an array of honors. In addition
to the Women’s Forum Education Fund Fellowship, they
Marriage and years of continued domestic abuse followed. include the Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarship and the
Nearly a decade and two more children later, Brown Barbara Aronson Award for Social Justice.
decided to return to school, seeking a new direction.
CCNY provided a path in January 2017. She’d always been Brown plans a career as a kindergarten teacher.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 5

 Yardelis
Diaz
BS, Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program
CUNY School of Medicine

“I was determined to find …resources that would

allow me to remain living near CCNY, which was
key to my development and success.”

Yardelis Diaz was the first in her family to obtain her high For her ability to overcome obstacles and inspire others,
school diploma and now her bachelor’s degree. Her tenacity she was granted the Alan Seelig Memorial Award. She
for overcoming hurdles has pushed her to continue to also received the Pyser Edelsack Award for Distinction in
pursue her MD at the CUNY School of Medicine at The Community Health & Social Medicine.
City College of New York.
Through the Marlene MacLeish Research Fellowship,
“During my first year of college, my father unexpectedly she was able to research the effects of NOSH-aspirin as a
lost his job which caused my family some financial stress,” possible preventative solution for ulcerogenic activity of
she said. “I was determined to find financial resources aspirin or naproxen.
that would allow me to remain living near CCNY, which I
believe was key to my development and success.” The Leonard Davis Fellowship led to her volunteering and
conducting community-based research with In Arms Reach
She moved into an apartment near the college with three Inc., a STEM mentorship and college preparation program
of her peers, but shortly after, a fire displaced the four for children of incarcerated parents and youth from under-
roommates. Diaz quickly identified emergency financial resourced communities in NYC. Diaz will receive her MD
resources, located some temporary housing, and eventually in 2023.
found a new apartment.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 6

 Alexandros
Gloor
BS, Physics and BA, Philosophy
Division of Science
Division of Humanities and the Arts
Macaulay Honors College

“Accepted to CCNY and the Macaulay Honors

College, I recognized that the tuition-free
program offered a freedom of mobility following
graduation as opposed to the trap of college debt
and limited options.”

Born in Berlin and raised in Greece, Alexandros Gloor is Gloor is also the lead author of a study on the foundations
a first-generation immigrant who speaks Greek, English, of the standard model of cosmology, and researched
Spanish, Italian and German. Following the divorce of his hyperthermia as cancer treatment last summer in Greece.
Greek mother and Italian father, Gloor came to New York
with his filmmaker mother when he was in middle school. The connection between physics and philosophy is
While in high school, he became fascinated by science undeniable, said Gloor and he found his City College
fiction and astrophysics. professors in both disciplines to be exceptional. “Philosophy
and Physics used to be one and ought to be approached
Gloor wanted to stay in New York for college and considered as being closely related. Forgetting that can often lead to
city schools including NYU and Columbia but knew the misunderstanding the physical consequences of what one
physics program at City College was very strong. “Once learns.”
accepted to CCNY and the Macaulay Honors College, I
recognized that the tuition-free program offered a freedom Honored with Zemansky Prize for Outstanding Scholarship
of mobility following graduation as opposed to the trap of in Physics, Gloor was also a Goldman Sachs Scholar, and
college debt and limited options.” a Partner for Change Fellow in the Colin Powell School.
He also volunteered as an embedded City Tutor with adult
As an undergraduate researcher working with professors learners at CCNY and with middle school students at the
Vinod Menon and Carlos Meriles, Gloor studied quantum Community Health Academy of the Heights.
systems at the Center for Discovery and Innovation, City
College’s state-of-the art facility for scientists working Gloor plans to move on to graduate studies.
across multiple disciplines.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 7

 Sabastian
Hajtovic
Class of 2020 Valedictorian
BS, Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program
CUNY School of Medicine

“At the soup kitchen clinic, I have had the unique

privilege of forming a bond with a vulnerable
population that generally does not have a good
experience with the medical field.”

Sabastian Hajtovic is graduating summa cum laude counseling—all under the direction of Dr. Holly Atkinson,
with a 4.0 GPA from the CCNY-based CUNY School of a wonderful mentor who oversees the clinic. I’ve had the
Medicine’s (CSOM) Sophie Davis Biomedical Education unique privilege of forming a bond with a vulnerable
Program. The Queens resident has earned a BS degree in population that generally has neither a permanent residence
biomedical science as he continues work toward his MD nor a good experience with the medical field.”
from CSOM in spring 2023.
He’s served as treasurer, and is currently president-elect, of
Brought up in Rockaway Beach to a family of Turkish the CSOM chapter of Physicians for Human Rights (PHR),
heritage, Hajtovic is described as a talented researcher and for which he’s coordinated an opioid crisis summit and
gifted student by mentors. His graduation honors include Naloxone (opioid overdose prevention) training sessions.
the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. He received Hajtovic is also president of the Surgery Group at CSOM.
the Rudin Research Fellowship in Dr. Linda Spatz’ lab Serving as a BronxCare Hospital pediatrics department
for his work on molecular mimicry and cross-reactive intern, Hajtovic designed a screening program for Social
antibodies in patients with lupus. He also received a Colin Determinants of Health. He was recently elected to the
Powell Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service, National Student Advisory Board PHR as Co-Chair of the
under which he studied NYCHA housing conditions and 2020 National Student Conference.
asthma prevalence. He was on the Dean’s List for his entire
undergraduate career. As he works toward his medical degree, Hajtovic is
interested in pursuing a surgical subspecialty. His interest
Hajtovic has shown exemplary leadership and excellence in neuroscience peaked last summer during a six-week
outside the classroom and lab, too. “I have been actively research fellowship at Istanbul University, working in a
involved in the planning and operation of a monthly, neuro-immunology lab and shadowing the neurosurgery
student-run, free medical screening clinic at a church soup department.
kitchen. We primarily do blood pressure screenings and

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 8

 Isabella
Joseph
Class of 2020 Salutatorian
BArch, Architecture
Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture
Macaulay Honors College

“I am continually inspired by the broader

implications of our work and the ways architecture
can foster relationships between people and
place.”

A member of CCNY’s Macaulay Honors College, Isabella “Initially I was drawn to the inherently interdisciplinary
Joseph is graduating summa cum laude with a 3.94 GPA. nature of architecture, from the creative ingenuity of art to
She will receive a bachelor of architecture degree from the the practicality of engineering. I quickly learned how much
Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture and is more it entails beyond simply the design of buildings; I
the first CCNY Salutatorian from the Spitzer School. She am continually inspired by the broader implications of our
minored in anthropology. work and the ways architecture can foster relationships
between people and place.”
Born of Indian immigrant parents in upstate New York,
Joseph is a Macaulay Honors standout. She’s lauded in the Her other accolades include being named a WX Women in
Spitzer School of Architecture as “a model of the future Real Estate Scholar of Merit this April, CUNY Chancellor’s
student who pursues diverse skill sets to more effectively Global Scholarship in summer 2018; and the United States
perform and address society’s myriad of issues.” She’s made Green Building Council (USGBC) Greenbuild Scholarship
the Dean’s list every year at City College. in fall 2016.

Joseph helped revive the J. Max Bond Center for Urban Crossing disciplines, Joseph received a Climate Policy
Futures, the Spitzer School’s applied research center, Fellowship from the Colin Powell School. Her work
and was recently part of a team that developed mapping included co-writing a policy brief with teammates from
resources for community boards 9 and 10 in response economics and mechanical engineering on innovative
to COVID-19. She gained valuable experience as an financing strategy for resilience projects at NYCHA
architectural intern at the global firm Kohn Pedersen Fox public housing developments. She is currently working on
(KPF) Associates collaborating with its design team on the concurrent architectural and written thesis projects also
Changi Airport Terminal 5 project in Singapore. dedicated to NYCHA housing in the architecture school
and the Macaulay Honors College.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 9

 Mahmoud
Khedr
CUNY BA, Social Entrepreneurship

“CCNY gave me a testing ground to learn, find my

interests, and even space to fail. I am leaving with
life-long friends, mentors and invaluable
experiences.”

TEDx speaker, Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar, Clinton Fellow recognition from former President Bill Clinton, General
and social entrepreneur—Mahmoud Khedr has done it all Colin Powell, Forbes, TEDx and Stanford University.
at City College. His final accolade is a BS degree in social He was a Colin Powell Community Engagement Fellow
entrepreneurship, a major the Egyptian immigrant crafted and placed second in the 2017 National Intuit Product
for himself in the exclusive CUNY Baccalaureate program Management Competition.
for highly motivated undergraduates. Khedr excelled at
CCNY, utilizing what he learned in the classroom to pursue Post-CCNY, Khedr’s focus will be FloraMind and its
interests outside with unrelenting passion. His goal: simply vision of empowering young people with the skills,
to make the world a better place. He worked at what he resources and knowledge to flourish through their mental
described as the intersection of technology, government, health. His memories of his alma mater shall, well, remain
health, and social impact to, among other things, establish unforgettable.
FloraMind, a start-up to address the global youth mental
health crisis. Khedr previously worked at Facebook, “CCNY gave me a testing ground to learn, find my interests,
Google, Echoing Green, and The New York City Mayor’s and even space to fail,” he said. “I am leaving with life-
Office of Tech & Innovation. long friends, mentors and invaluable experiences through
building clubs like the Entrepreneurship Student Club,
His profile as a global advocate and speaker on mental founding companies like Runr and FloraMind and leading
health, youth empowerment, and social entrepreneurship initiatives through the Stanford University Innovation
earned Khedr, who was born in Giza and came to the Fellows at CCNY.”
United States at age 11, numerous honors. That includes

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 10

 Marija
Krstic
PhD, Civil Engineering
The Grove School of Engineering

“My students thank me for inspiring them and

that gives me the strength to persist, knowing that
I made a difference in the lives of our students at
CCNY.”

“My childhood consisted of wars, the divisions of countries, The results are impressive for research and use in real world
embargo and sanctions,” says doctoral candidate Marija applications.
Krstic of her early years in Nis, Yugoslavia, now part of
Serbia. Her family not only survived NATO bombings “Cement is the binder in concrete, but its production emits
during the Kosovo war; Krstic was also born with an an equal amount of CO2. Microscale materials (pozzolans)
incurable visual impairment and functions today at 50% are used to partially replace cement and enhance concrete
vision capacity. performance,” notes Krstic. The most common pozzolan
used is fly ash, a byproduct from coal burning plants but
Krstic arrived at City College in 2012 with bachelor and due to plant closures and conversions to natural gas, there
master degrees in civil engineering, specialized in materials is a severe shortage of fly ash, which makes this CCNY
and structures. She obtained a second master’s degree and development significant.
continued onto the PhD program, researching innovative
cementitious materials for concrete production. She spent The material was tested for sidewalk construction in South
eight months at UT Delft in the Netherlands conducting Jamaica, Queens, by the New York City Department of
micro-level tests at one of the most prestigious materials Design and Construction, and was also utilized by developer
evaluation labs in the world. Durst in three components of construction on a 23-story
building in Long Island City, a first-time use in a U.S. high
In transformative research for both the recycling and rise building. The research at CCNY has greatly contributed
concrete industries, Krstic was part of a City College civil to the development of recently approved national ASTM
engineering team that characterized a glass powder to standards for production and implementation in practice.
replace cement in the production of concrete. The material
Krstic plans to remain at CCNY as a post doc as more
developed by Urban Mining Northeast and evaluated with
work has to be done on glass in concrete including across
Dr. Julio Davalos, professor of civil engineering in City
disciplines such as architecture. Already a member of City
College’s Grove School of Engineering, entails micro-
College’s adjunct faculty working with undergrads, Krstic
and macro-structure studies and applications of a new
says, “My students thank me for inspiring them and that
glass powder ingredient for concrete from post-consumer
gives me the strength to persist, knowing that I made a
recycled mixed-color glass that has no value-added market.
difference in the lives of our students at CCNY.”

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 11

 Daniel “Cash”
Langford
MLArch, Architecture
Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture

“’Design is not linear.’ I heard this on the first day

of studio… at City College. It’s turned into a mantra
that has helped rationalize my past and provide
perspective when setbacks arise.”

Growing up on a farm in rural Texas, Daniel “Cash” Living and studying in New York City allowed Langford
Langford was fully expected to take over the family business to broaden his horizons in academics as well as his
—cotton and peanut farming. community serving as Chair of Intersectionality with the
ASLA Student Chapter; organizing Queer Ecologies, a
After receiving his bachelor’s in agriculture and applied panel to discuss inclusivity and anti-oppressive design, and
economics at Texas Tech University, Langford spent ArchiteXX; a moderated panel that aims to recognize how
time learning farm operation and designing sub-surface designers are improving racial and gender equity in their
irrigation. Feeling unfulfilled, he decided to pursue his projects and careers.
passion for landscape architecture, moving from his
hometown of 2,000 to his dream city, New York. After graduating, Langford plans to continue his
apprenticeship with the Urban Design Unit at the New
Langford sought out City College to learn how to apply York Department of Transportation where he has been
his knowledge of rural landscape systems to a city scale. learning how to create public space opportunities in
One of his first studio projects aimed to reintroduce the public right-of-way under and adjacent to elevated
the rural microbiome to areas of New York lacking in transportation structures. From there, he is interested in
beneficial bacteria that we encounter when interacting pursuing a career in landscape architecture focused on
with farm animals, like goats and sheep. Cash continued creating public landscapes that integrate natural systems to
to incorporate his rural background into his studies by be more resilient spaces in the era of climate change.
completing his final design studio on “Pointillist Prairie:
Playa Lake Restoration in the Great Plains.” “‘Design is not linear.’ I heard this on the first day of studio
and numerous times during my time at City College. This
Through his research on playa lakes, Langford wants to
has turned into a mantra of mine that has helped rationalize
provide strategic recommendations for restoring playa lakes
my past and provide perspective when setbacks arise.”
to increase habitat and aquifer recharge in an increasingly
arid landscape.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 12

 Terrell F.
Merritt
BA, Advertising & Public Relations Program
Division of Humanities and the Arts

“It is so empowering to be guided by people who

truly believe in you and fight to make sure that
you and your CCNY peers are taken seriously as
capable, rising professionals.

Terrell F. Merritt made the leap to advertising and public He has worked with local public schools on their diversity
relations after studying computer science for three years outreach teams through p.s. alumni, New York City’s public
at a private institution. The move put financial strain on school alumni network, and as junior outreach coordinator
the first-generation student, but he was able to find job for the New York City Department of Education.
opportunities that financed his education at The City
College of New York. “The people and resources here instilled confidence and
drive in me, and that is a huge part of what got me this far,”
“The support I had from faculty and staff at CCNY really he said. “Now, I will be the first in my family to graduate
helped me, and that especially goes for the professors with a bachelor’s degree, and I can only hope to serve as a
and advisors from the Department of Media and symbol of possibility to those following me.”
Communication Arts,” said Merritt. “It is so empowering
to be guided by people who truly believe in you and fight Merritt works as a social media and digital marketing
to make sure that you and your CCNY peers are taken assistant for The City University of New York (CUNY).
seriously as capable, rising professionals.” He looks forward to growing as a multifaceted public
relations practitioner, particularly using social media,
Merritt ran for national office of CCNY’s chapter of the event management and data analytics to amplify
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) underrepresented voices.
where he was named vice president of brand engagement.
He has also served as secretary, vice president and
chairperson for PRSSA.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 13

 Mathiu
Perez Rodriguez
BS & Accelerated MS Biochemistry
Division of Science

“CCNY is where everything started, where

everything came together. Without my mentors
I wouldn’t be where I am.”

At age 17, Mathiu Perez Rodriguez packed his bags and left multiple undergraduate research honor awards from
his native Ecuador alone. Disillusioned by prospects in his Harvard Medical School, the American Chemical Society’s
homeland, he set out to seek a new life in the US. Ecuador’s Scholar honor, National Institutes of Health Fellowships;
loss was ultimately City College’s gain. After transferring and the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, America’s premiere
to CCNY a few years later, Perez’s focus, fortitude and award for undergraduates majoring in math, science and
intellectual appetite established the biochemistry honors engineering.
research student as one of the best nationally.
Perez is leaving his alma mater with one of the biggest
He leaves City with combined BS and MS degrees in research awards in the country, a National Institute of
biochemistry, and a reputation as a pioneer. That is because Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Fellowship. He
he is the first student to graduate from City College’s enters the highly competitive program this summer for
accelerated MS program in biochemistry. The accolade one year before heading to medical school. The program
punctuates four years of excellence at CCNY replete with promotes biomedical research training in allergic,
major honors. immunologic, or infectious diseases. ​

Mentored by Ruth E. Stark, a CUNY Distinguished “CCNY is where everything started, where everything
Professor, Perez’s recognitions include: a scholarship from came together,” he said, while lauding Stark and his lab
the National American Chemical Society; Louis Stokes mentor, Dr. Dastmalchi. “Without my mentors I wouldn’t
Alliance, AMSNY, City College and MARC fellowships; be where I am. I am grateful for that.”

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 14

 Rossmery Almonte
Tejada
BA, Social Work
Division for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center
for Worker Education

“CWE is a safe environment with enthusiastic

professors who helped me discover and develop
my potential, motivating me to be a better
professional and human being.”

“Making the decision to return to school at 52 was not an Almonte Tejada describes the CWE community as working
easy task,” says Rossmery Almonte Tejada. “I felt doubt, people who are focused and determined with no time to
I was afraid that my classmates would make fun of me waste. “I cannot deny that it has been very challenging to
because I was not as young as they are. I was afraid that my be a mother of two, a provider, a full-time college student
accent would prevent me from communicating with my with two full-time jobs. The journey has been difficult, but
professors.” I did it!”

Almonte Tejada spent years as an actress/comedian in the She acknowledges her professors for their guidance,
Dominican Republic and in her adopted home of New York instruction, patience, and an environment of unconditional
City, before enrolling in Borough Manhattan Community support in the learning process.
College (BMCC) in 2015 to pursue her associate’s degree
in Human Services. She was inspired to continue on to a While working as a benefits counselor for the SNAP
bachelor’s degree at The Center for Worker Education food program in East Harlem, Almonte Tejada continues
(CWE) in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in to pursue her passion for theater and performing. After
Social Welfare. appearing in the Off-Broadway Musical “I Like It Like
That” in 2016, Almonte Tejada was cast in the 2019 Off-
“CWE made me feel that I came to the right place to acquire Broadway musical and New York Times Critic’s Pick
a great higher academic education. It is a safe environment “GUARACHA” at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. She
with enthusiastic professors who have helped me discover was nominated for the Independent Theater Awards for
and develop my potential, instructing and motivating me Hispanic Actors (ATI) and received the 2020 Association
to be a better professional and human being.” for Latin Entertainment Critics of New York (ACE) Award
for Best Actress/ Musical Theater.

GREAT GRADS 2020 | 15

 W W W. C C N Y. C U N Y. E D U

160 CONVENT AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10031