The event is proudly co-hosted by the Black and Latino Male Initiative, Immigrant Student Success Office, SAIL Center, Puerto Rican and Latinx Studies Department, 可乐视频 Dream Team, Mexican Heritage Student Association, Ecuadorian Student Association, and Haitian-American Student Association.

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Morning Sessions

Cycles of Our Healing:听Activating Self-Love, Care, Renewal:听A conversation about how and why internal-external relationships within our communities are continually under attack

Safeguarding听Immigrant听Rights on Campus听and听in听Our听Communities:听Gain legal knowledge through a practical “Know Your Rights” presentation

The Interconnection of Mindfulness and Wellness as a Way of Building Community:听A discussion on mindfulness practices to empower, encourage, and build resilient academic and interpersonal communities

Beyond听the听Letters: Fostering Community Through Service:听Meet members of Greek lettered organizations and hear their stories about making a meaningful impact in their communities

The Power of Affinity Spaces:听Bringing together student leaders and campus staff to explore the critical role of identity-based spaces and student groups

Afternoon Sessions

Careers in Content: Turning Hobbies into Passion-Driven Professions:听Learn how to start a successful side hustle or full-time career as a content creator

Opportunities in Sports: Internships, Career Education, Preparation:听Hear from听Brooklyn Nets staff about breaking into the sports industry

Roots to Riches: Student Entrepreneurs Shaping Their Own Narratives:听Showcase of CUNY student businesses and entrepreneurship panel

Empowering the Next Generation of Educators

Navigating the Future Frontiers of AI:听Demystifying emerging technologies and learn career growth strategies

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鈥淭ake your time,鈥� one her peers yelled from the audience.

If the pause betrayed any nervousness around giving the student address in front of the boisterous crowd in the Claire Tow Theater, it quickly gave way to a fiery speech that struck a chord with the assembled.

Adversity? 鈥淪een it. Lived it. Felt it,鈥� she said defiantly, after invoking Langston Hughes and recounting a childhood that taught her that life won鈥檛 always look like what you expected.

鈥淥ur accomplishments,鈥� she told her fellow graduates, 鈥渓ive in every sacrifice, every setback, every reason we could have stopped, but didn鈥檛.鈥�

Chin-Phillips says she certainly had her share of challenges growing up between Brooklyn and Barbados. Born in the United States, her mother was deported when she was 6 years old, so she was raised mostly by aunts and other family members in New York while her mother stayed in Barbados.

As she prepares to apply for doctoral programs in occupational therapy, the transfer student talks about growing up apart from her nuclear family, learning that support would always show up when she needed it, and her gratitude for the community and mentors at 可乐视频 that reminded her of her worth.

What was your childhood like?

My family is from Barbados and Guyana, and I spent a lot of time going back and forth between the two places. Every summer, I was in Barbados almost immediately after school ended, and I鈥檇 come back right before the school year started again.

We kept in touch however we could鈥攍ots of Skype calls, emails, all of that before FaceTime and texting were really a thing. It wasn鈥檛 easy, but it definitely taught me resilience and adaptability very early on.

What brought you to 可乐视频?

可乐视频 actually wasn鈥檛 my first stop. I originally attended LIU Brooklyn as a health science major. Eventually, I realized I wanted to pursue a path connected to speech pathology, so I decided to transfer. A family friend encouraged me to apply to 可乐视频.

You鈥檙e now majoring in linguistics with a minor in communicative sciences and disorders.

Linguistics overlaps a lot with CSD, especially when it comes to language development and communication. I believe courses like these should be required for people studying education, literacy, sociology, and child development because language impacts everything.

What opportunities have stood out to you during your time at 可乐视频?

One of the biggest was participating in the Mellon Undergraduate Transfer Student Research Program with [Assistant] Professor Anne Fredrickson. My group researched how accredited colleges in New York prepare future speech-language pathologists to work with bilingual populations.

I really loved that experience because it combined research, language, and questions of equity and representation. It also gave me confidence in my own voice and perspective as someone who grew up between cultures.

I also received the Zicklin Scholars Degree Completion Grant, which was incredibly helpful during my academic journey.

Outside the classroom, what communities or organizations have been important to you?

A lot of my extracurricular involvement has centered around Black Faculty and Staff initiatives on campus. This past year, I became treasurer of the Black Solidarity Day Committee, which has been a really meaningful experience.

When I first transferred to 可乐视频, I didn鈥檛 know much about Black Solidarity Day or some of the history behind it. Through mentors, faculty, and staff members, I became more involved and started to understand how important community-building and cultural advocacy are on campus. That work really helped me feel connected here.

Looking ahead, what would your dream career look like?

I always struggle to answer that because I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 one perfect path for me yet. But I know that whatever I do, I want it to connect back to culture, community, and the Caribbean.

Anything involving the West Indies or Caribbean culture immediately interests me. I already do work with the West Indian American Day Carnival Association here in Brooklyn, and I love being part of spaces that celebrate where I come from.

At the end of the day, I think I just want a career where I can help people while still staying connected to my roots and my community.

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Hosted by the Black Faculty and Staff at 可乐视频 and co-sponsored by the BLMI and the 可乐视频 Black Student Union, the ceremony will feature special remarks, the ceremonial donning of Kente stoles, and moments of recognition that highlight the resilience and success of graduating students.

More than a celebration, the Donning of the Kente fosters a strong sense of unity and belonging, reflecting 可乐视频鈥檚 ongoing commitment to supporting and uplifting Black students. Attendees can expect an inspiring and culturally affirming experience that honors both individual achievement and collective progress.

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Now, just over a year into his new role, Rodriguez is bringing new energy and vision to BLMI, a program he describes as 鈥渁 one-stop shop鈥� for students who need support, community, and a place to belong. The initiative provides personalized academic advisement, peer and faculty mentorship, career planning and leadership workshops, and prioritizes finding mentors that its mostly black and brown student population can relate to. (The program is open to students of all races and genders.)

Rodriguez talks about his path, the challenges students face, and what it means to build a space where students feel like they鈥檙e home.

You鈥檝e had a remarkable journey. Can you share a bit about your background and how it shaped your work today?

听I was born in Puerto Rico and came to New York when I was nine鈥攐riginally just for vacation. But my mom decided to stay, and we ended up navigating some tough times, including homelessness and eventually foster care. I lived in public housing and then with foster families. That experience shaped everything. I always wanted to be a doctor, and I pursued that dream all the way to medical school. But due to financial issues鈥攎y loan was canceled鈥擨 couldn鈥檛 complete it. That鈥檚 when I found myself in education, working with foster youth, and realized this was my calling.

What drew you to BLMI and 可乐视频?

Honestly, it felt like destiny. Through my master鈥檚 program in higher education, I focused on men of color in STEM. When I saw the opportunity at BLMI, it aligned perfectly. What impressed me most was the legacy鈥攆ormer students returning as staff, alumni staying involved. That speaks volumes about the impact of the program. It鈥檚 not just a student initiative, it鈥檚 a community.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see students facing, and how is BLMI addressing them?

听Resource gaps are a major issue鈥攖ransportation, housing, food insecurity, tuition. We鈥檝e had students come from programs where they received MetroCards, and suddenly they鈥檙e here without that support. We鈥檙e working to build emergency funds, scholarships, and partnerships to help fill those gaps. We also sent students abroad this summer鈥攖wo to Japan, one to Spain鈥攂ut rising costs meant we could only send three instead of six. We want to do more.

What鈥檚 your vision for BLMI moving forward?

听I want BLMI to be a true one-stop shop for students. We鈥檙e implementing student success plans that include academic, career, and social-emotional components. We鈥檙e using tools like Navigate to help students track their progress and goals. My background in ASAP taught me the value of intrusive advisement鈥攃hecking in regularly, using data to identify roadblocks, and creating targeted support. We鈥檙e also building stronger ties with other campus programs and departments to ensure students are connected across the board.

What has surprised you most since joining 可乐视频?

The level of collaboration. I鈥檝e worked in different higher ed spaces, and it鈥檚 rare to see such strong partnerships across departments鈥�Africana Studies, Sociology, LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Women鈥檚 Center, ISSO. Everyone is invested in student success. We had a summer institute where staff, faculty, and alumni all came together to engage new students. That kind of unity is powerful.

What鈥檚 the vibe like in the BLMI space?

It鈥檚 home. Students walk by and hear conversations in Spanish, see people who look like them, smell jerk chicken鈥攊t鈥檚 familiar, comforting. I had two Latino students stop by and say, 鈥淵ou guys are speaking Spanish in there?鈥� That sense of belonging is everything. It鈥檚 not just about programming; it鈥檚 about creating a space where students feel seen and valued.

If resources weren鈥檛 an issue, what鈥檚 your dream for BLMI?

听I鈥檇 love to create dedicated internships for our students鈥攖ailored to their majors, with alumni mentors and networking opportunities. We took students to a Latino leadership conference in New Jersey, and it was transformative. Imagine if we could send them to national conferences in Seattle or California. I鈥檇 also love to take students suit shopping before galas or professional events. We鈥檝e had to rely on donations, but how amazing would it be to say, 鈥淟et鈥檚 go to Men鈥檚 Warehouse together鈥�?

What impresses you most about 可乐视频 students?

听Their talent and drive. I sit down with students for success planning, and they鈥檙e already building portfolios, launching businesses, developing software. They鈥檙e not waiting for permission鈥攖hey鈥檙e doing it. We just need to make sure the system isn鈥檛 getting in their way. If we鈥檙e not ready to support them, we鈥檙e the barrier.

Outside of work, what keeps you grounded?

听I鈥檓 a father of two鈥攁 15-year-old son and a two-year old daughter. We鈥檙e big on road trips and hiking. Every Father鈥檚 Day, my son and I go camping. It鈥檚 our tradition. We鈥檝e hiked in New York, Vermont, Maine, even Costa Rica. It鈥檚 how we stay connected and recharge.

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He reflects on his journey to student leadership, his plans for the year, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

You鈥檝e been part of USG since your sophomore year. What inspired you to run for president?

I always wondered how things could be better. Having served under two different student government administrations, I saw what worked and what didn鈥檛. What excites me is being able to bring people together鈥攚hether we agree or disagree鈥攁nd still enact change for the student body.

Honestly, I love 可乐视频. This place shaped me, gave me confidence in public speaking, networking, and leadership. Running for president was my way of giving back and showing others that if I can do it, you can, too.

Do you see yourself in politics, or is this more of a campus chapter for you?

听That鈥檚 the million-dollar question. (Laughs.) I wouldn鈥檛 say no forever, but realistically, politics isn鈥檛 my career plan right now. But I do believe you never really know your path until life unfolds.

Very true. You were born in Brooklyn but spent part of your life in North Carolina. How did that shape you?

听I moved south in third grade, to a small town called Havelock. It鈥檚 the complete opposite of New York鈥攓uiet, slower, more intimate. It gave me space to reflect and learn about myself. Coming back to Brooklyn after high school was intimidating, but it also opened so many doors.

Why 可乐视频?

听Funny enough, I wasn鈥檛 even sure I鈥檇 go to college. My parents kept pushing me, and I鈥檓 glad they did. I worked retail and had gotten promoted but I always knew there was more I wanted to do.

I used to ride the B6 bus and pass 可乐视频 all the time. I鈥檇 see the bell tower and students on the lawn and think, 鈥淚 want to be part of that.鈥�

You started in computer science, but now you鈥檙e a finance major. What drew you to that field?

听I make this joke all the time: I like money and I like people, so finance made sense. But seriously, finance is broad. It鈥檚 budgeting, cash management, investment鈥攊t touches everything. I realized it鈥檚 a way to combine analytical skills with working in community, which I really enjoy.

Have you had real-world experience in finance so far?

听I just finished an internship with Basis Investment Group, a real estate investment firm. It鈥檚 small鈥攐nly around 50 people鈥攂ut I got to work closely with the CEO. I even pitched a partnership idea to connect 可乐视频 students with real estate opportunities. They loved the passion, so I鈥檓 hoping that develops into something lasting for future students.

Let鈥檚 talk about USG. What鈥檚 your vision for the year ahead?

First, I want my team to feel confident and independent. I鈥檒l be busy in meetings, so it鈥檚 important they know they can take initiative. In terms of goals, we鈥檙e working on a Game Room initiative. Upgrading the Student Center first-floor game room with actual consoles and activities to make it a real hub for students. We want to do more town halls to give students a chance to voice concerns directly and start conversations with administration. And we want to help student leaders grow and to build stronger ties between clubs, USG, and administration.

My philosophy is: Once you pay your tuition, this campus belongs to you. Students should feel empowered to use every resource available.

_听You鈥檝e talked about bridging the gap between students and administration. How do you plan to do that?

听Communication. Students often don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening. Administration shares info, but maybe not always loudly enough. At the same time, we as students need to pay attention. Town halls and open senate meetings are key.

What do you think helped you win the election?

听Honestly, passion. I was active, present, and people saw that. I didn鈥檛 run just to add 鈥減resident鈥� to my r茅sum茅. I ran because I care about this community. I was shocked when I won, but I got right to work. My mindset is always: Do the best with the little time you have, and make things better for the next group coming in.

Outside of USG, what else have you been involved in?

听I鈥檝e been part of BLMI (Black and Latino Male Initiative) as a mentor, which gave me scholarships and recognition through the Bulldog Achievement Awards. I also founded a club called Design and Wine鈥攖he 鈥渨ine鈥� is a play on relaxation, no alcohol involved鈥攚here students learned to design custom merchandise and even had a successful mental health themed event. It was an important conversation. In total, we solidified four successful events.

Has it been hard to find community at 可乐视频?

听For me, yes. I think part of it is being a Black gay male student dealing with mental health, and part of it is just our times. Technology creates distance, and after COVID people are focused on survival. But I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 unique to 可乐视频鈥攊t鈥檚 society. That鈥檚 why I try to be the person who smiles, who checks in, who creates space. Community doesn鈥檛 always come to you鈥攜ou sometimes have to build it.

What advice would you give your freshman self鈥攐r new students arriving now?

听Give yourself grace. Give others grace, too. Don鈥檛 rush the process. Four years feels like four minutes. Stay for events, join clubs, meet people. The friendships and opportunities you build can last a lifetime.

Last question: What do you want students to know about you as their president?

听That I鈥檓 not a politician鈥擨鈥檓 an advocate. I want students to know they鈥檙e heard, that they have power here. I ran on passion, and I intend to follow through.

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Could you tell us a bit about your background?

I grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn. My family is from Haiti, so I’m first generation. Growing up I was always super interested in video games as an art form, not just a pastime, but something to draw inspiration from, and that drove my career choice. I always loved to be around computers. I was working when I was 14, tutoring other students in math and science at an afterschool program.

It sounds like you knew early on where you were going career-wise.

My motivation for working is that I wanted some Air Jordans and couldn鈥檛 afford them. I knew that I had to work hard to get them. In my spare time, I’d be in forums creating internet art for people and designing assets for online games. I made custom fighting games using an engine called Mugen, and that got me wanting to work more with computers. I graduated from Medgar Evers College Preparatory School and got a great education there. I started at NYU but dropped out because of financial issues. I applied to 可乐视频鈥攊t was one of the best options in terms of location and also has a strong computer science program. I immersed myself in the culture: I was a peer mentor for the Black and Latino Male Initiative and the CSTEP [College Science and Technology Entry Program]. I’d go to the Magner Career Center every week, get some career counseling, sought internships.

Were you able to find internships in your major?

I interned at the New York City Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications in tech support. I ended up getting a second internship after networking at a Google cybersecurity event as an analyst for an Aon-owned company called Stroz Friedberg. I did some development there because I already knew how to code. So I created some software tools and some security tools, and I made that connection with Aon.

So you already had some solid connections toward a career in computer science before you left college.

Yes, but before I graduated, I started a business. It all arose from a final project for a capstone course where we had to build a website. I chose to make mine for a clothing brand I called 鈥淣ull鈥�, which turned out to be a real thing.

How so? How did you go from your college project to an apparel business?

It started with just a T-shirt. It was the middle of 2020, and I was working as a full-time data engineer at the Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications鈥擨 was hired after my internship there. It was right during the nationwide protests against the killing of George Floyd. I came up with a Black Lives Matter graphic that I put on tees under the Null brand I created at college and sold them. I had been creating pixel art and had designed other pop culture icons during my capstone project, so I embroidered them on clothing, and those sold. It went from there. I got hired as a software engineer by a music startup called So Far Sounds and started earning enough money to be able to invest in NULL. That led to pop-up shops. I broke a one-day sales record with my pop-up shop at Canal Street Market downtown next to Chinatown. Now I鈥檓 a creative director designing, producing, and selling hats, T-shirts, and hoodies all with pixelated graphics. A shop in Japan鈥攖he New New York Club鈥攈as commissioned my apparel.

Did you have any training in design or did you just create the character on your apparel freestyle?

I took a woodcut printmaking course at 可乐视频 during my senior year, and that was it. That sparked my interest in showcasing my art skills more publicly. Even now I’ve been trying to teach myself VFX graphics and graphical programming. It鈥檚 math and it鈥檚 art. I’ve been experimenting with mostly cut-and-sew designs [using paper patterns] and exploring a lot of that stuff. It鈥檚 kind of crazy to look back and see me being a studious kind of guy in computer science, and then becoming a pixel artist, using my computer engineering skills to do something different. I believe that science and art majors should take a course or two in the other discipline; it widens your perspective

Why the name Null?

In computer science the word null is given to objects that are created in memory that have no assigned value. It’s a state of emptiness. I saw it and thought I鈥檇 use it. Null is a pun on the relationship we have with clothes. They have no value when we purchase them beyond the cost until we as consumers give them value, whether it鈥檚 an article of clothing that is trendy, or something hard to get that everybody wants.

Today you are a software engineer at Eventbrite.

Yes, the online event management and ticketing site. I鈥檓 a full-stack developer, which means I can build the front and back end of a website. I build components, like the navigation bar and specific pages like the 鈥渢hings-to-do鈥� page. Those are then rendered for about 100 different countries. I鈥檓 also part of a team that works to make sure that Eventbrite shows up on the top of internet searches. It鈥檚 enjoyable work for sure

Have you stayed in touch with 可乐视频?

I鈥檝e been working to see if we can recruit 可乐视频 students to intern for engineers at Eventbrite. I would have loved to do that kind of internship when I was in school. A software engineering internship is competitive; it鈥檚 often tough to get one.

Aside from your apparel are you doing anything design-related?

I’ve had a pretty successful side hustle as an animator for GIPHY, with around 1.6 billion impressions on my work. And I recently had the pleasure of teaching a brand design workshop at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. I talked about my experience as a creative engineer and my design philosophy and process. When I do something like the workshop, I always lead by saying I鈥檓 proud to be a 可乐视频 alumnus.

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Black and Latino Male Initiative members Kwame Sparkes, Kiev Davis, and Cyle Paul

On a Thursday morning in mid-August, the third floor of James Hall is quiet. But listen carefully, and you can hear music drifting down the corridor. If you follow the music and peek around the corner, you鈥檒l hear the hum of conversation and see daylight spilling out from an open door.

Welcome to the 可乐视频 Black and Latino Male Initiative (BLMI), where students come to relax, study, connect (or disconnect), and find their way.

On this particular Thursday, Associate Director David Wells 鈥�08, M.S. 鈥�12, M.A. 鈥�20 and Program Coordinator Shadiq Williams 鈥�17 are leading a session of the BLMI Summer Institute. Students sit around a conference table and on couches. A sophomore who will later introduce himself as Cyle鈥攑ronounced Kyle鈥攈as claimed the chair at the reception desk. Breakfast is laid out, and Wells is explaining the current assignment as everyone settles in. The air is relaxed but focused.

It’s in this atmosphere of ease and purpose that mentoring flourishes. Students receive guidance from one another, staff, faculty, and professionals outside of 可乐视频.

鈥淭hey definitely spread the mentoring culture,鈥� says recent alumnus HuShawn Wells 鈥�23 (no relation to David Wells) of BLMI leadership. 鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy how selfless they are.鈥�

Black an Latino Male Initiative leadership: Associate Director David Wells 鈥�08, M.S. 鈥�12, M.A. 鈥�20 and Program Coordinator Shadiq Williams 鈥�17

Full Circle

When he was an undergraduate at 可乐视频 in the mid-2000s, David Wells was one of the first peer mentors at BLMI. So when he came to his current job as associate director in 2019, 鈥渋t was a full circle,鈥� he says.

But now he has the benefit of many years of experience. Having been at 可乐视频 for 22 years, first as a student and then as an employee, 鈥淚 know a lot of folks,鈥� he says. This means that when students express particular interests鈥攆rom computer science to animation to business鈥攈e can connect them with a mentor in that field. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to create jobs, specific skills, and job-specific relationships,鈥� says Wells.

He explains why this connection between college and the working world is particularly important for students who come to BLMI. Research shows that many Black and Latino students, particularly men, either drop out of college or never enroll in the first place.

Wells believes this is because they don鈥檛 feel there is a pathway to jobs through college. BLMI leadership is looking to counter this narrative by creating a clear bridge from college to careers鈥攚ith the plan to extend this bridge in the other direction as well: 可乐视频 students mentoring high school students, mapping a path to college.

Helping Students Find What They Want鈥攁nd Don鈥檛 Want

Like David Wells, BLMI mentor Kiev Davis 鈥�11 drew his own full circle. As a student at 可乐视频, he was instrumental in the original grant proposal to expand the newly established to the campus. He recruited students like David Wells to help during the funding process. 听When the grant came through, to establish what was initially called ERIS听 (Empowering, Recruiting, Investing, Supporting), Davis became one of the group鈥檚 first mentors.

Currently a Linux systems administrator at NYU, Davis found that the path from college to career was not obvious to him. Without websites like LinkedIn and mentors in his chosen field, Davis had to find his own direction. 鈥淭here was no easy way,鈥� he says. And so he has 鈥渁lways tried to be there for students and give them what I never had.鈥�

One student who benefited from Davis鈥檚 mentorship is sophomore Cyle Paul. Paul had initially planned to be a computer science major, but 鈥渁fter a deep conversation about life鈥� with Davis, he came to understand that he had chosen computer science because his parents wanted him to. As a result of talking with Davis, Paul decided to pursue what he truly wanted: a degree in finance, with a minor in human resources.

Safe Haven

Another key element of mentorship at BLMI is peer support. A cohort of juniors and seniors serves as formal mentors for their peers. But students describe sharing knowledge, advice, and support as so ingrained in the organization that mentoring happens in countless daily interactions.

Senior Kwame Sparkes remembers his first visit to the BLMI office. He found it refreshing to talk to people who had experienced 鈥渟ome of the same struggles I was going through,鈥� he says. He appreciated hearing 鈥淥h, yeah, me too. I went through that鈥� and 鈥淚 can guide you through this. I know what it鈥檚 like.鈥� Now Sparkes is in a position to pass along what he has learned. He makes sure to talk to other students in the program about his experiences.

Sparkes calls BLMI his 鈥渟afe haven.鈥�

HuShawn Wells 鈥�23

So does HuShawn Wells, who graduated last spring with a B.A. in art. 鈥淭here are times when I have gone in there and cried and broken down,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e had those heart-to-heart conversations. I鈥檝e taken naps. I鈥檝e had some of the best conversations of my life.鈥�

Wells鈥檚 first year at 可乐视频 was in 2015, but he struggled to find his academic direction, and the following year he took some time off. He returned in 2019, just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic to shut things down. With the help of the leadership at BLMI, though, he managed to make a new start, finding his confidence and his path as an artist鈥攁nd making the Dean鈥檚 List twice.

Program Coordinator Shadiq Williams, who first joined as an undergraduate in 2012, remembers the program expanding his world in life-changing ways. When he was still a student, it put him in a position to get to know, and feel at ease with, assistant deans, VPs, and directors. Now, he encourages students to get involved in the college community. 鈥淔or some of them, they just never had anybody say that,鈥� says Williams. So when somebody does, their confidence 鈥渟kyrockets.鈥�

Primary funding for BLMI comes from the City Council, says Shadiq Williams, which made the program a permanent part of the budget in 2018. And for the first time, he says, 鈥淣ew York State has allocated an additional $500,000 to support CUNY BMI in 2023.鈥� The Kurz Foundation funds the BLMI Summer Institute, Leadership Academy, and Study Abroad Scholarship. In recognition of the importance of programs like the 可乐视频 BLMI, CUNY BMI is set to initiate a partnership with the , which will foster connections among BMI programs across CUNY campuses.

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