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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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On Day 2, join your fellow classmates at Barclays Center to celebrate Commencement alongside the graduates of the Class of 2026! Mark 50 years since your own graduation, dressed in a stunning gold cap and gown, and enjoy front-row seats as you relive the excitement and magic of your special day鈥攁n unforgettable celebration you won鈥檛 want to miss.

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This significant milestone recognized the accomplishments of more than 3,000 graduates, including recipients of bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees as well as advanced certificates. The ceremony continued the proud legacy of over 165,000 可乐视频 alumni who have gone on to become influential leaders and agents of change around the globe.

可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson called it a time to celebrate and reflect.

鈥淥ur campus鈥攍ike our world鈥攊s home to passionate voices and diverse perspectives. Today, though, we come together to celebrate what unites us: your achievement, your growth, and your future,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淭hrough rigorous study, discussion, and contemplation, you鈥檝e become the educated people this world needs. You鈥檝e learned to approach a complex world with thoughtfulness and care. You鈥檝e cultivated nuance, compassion, and a desire to work for a better future together. The world needs that. The world needs you.鈥�

可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson delivers a commencement address to the Class of 2025.

In a special tribute, 可乐视频 posthumously awarded the 2025 Presidential Medal of Honor to Shirley Anita Chisholm, Class of 1946. As the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress and the first to seek a major party鈥檚 nomination for president, Chisholm was a fearless advocate for justice. She championed the rights of the marginalized, gave voice to the unheard, and created space for those historically excluded from power. Her legacy is one of courage, trailblazing leadership, and unwavering commitment to equity.

Anderson saluted Rev. Sharpton, the civil rights leader, for carrying forward Chisholm’s vision. From his early activism in Brooklyn to his national leadership through the National Action Network, Sharpton has remained a steadfast advocate for justice, equality, and human dignity. His life’s work continues to challenge systems of oppression and inspire new generations to demand change.

Rev. Al Sharpton delivers a tribute to Presidential Medal of Honor recipient Shirley Chisholm 鈥�46.

鈥淚t was because people like Shirley Chisholm stood up and fought back that Blacks went all the way to the White House, and women got the right to choose in her. In her memory we must keep those fights alive,鈥� Sharpton told the Class of 2025. 鈥淭here are those forces today that want to turn back the clock. They can turn back the clock, but they can鈥檛 turn back time.

“Don鈥檛 worry about your circumstance. Worry about that you stood in this school and made them call your name. Make this the first day of your life that makes everybody that you deal with call your name.”

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams ’01, ’05 M.A. and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso were also on hand to congratulate the 100^th graduating class.

Williams urged the Class of 2025 to listen to the lessons they learned.

鈥淏ecause we鈥檝e learned a lot. But I鈥檓 asking you to push us past our comfort zone, because real change never happens in comport. In this shared humanity I look at you and I鈥檓 encouraged not just by your youth but the brightness in your eyes, and I鈥檓 asking you to hold onto that as long as you possibly can. I know you can because you have a 可乐视频 degree,鈥� Williams said.

In addition to presenting the college with a proclamation for the 100^th Commencement, Reynoso quoted Brooklyn鈥檚 own Christopher Wallace, also known as the late Notorious B.I.G. 鈥淪pread love, it’s the Brooklyn way. And as you leave tonight, make sure you do that.鈥�

Another special student guest was National Youth Poet Laureate and CUNY student Stephanie Pacheco read her poem 鈥�,鈥� which highlights the university鈥檚 uniqueness and importance to thousands of students.

The salutatorian of the Class of 2025 was Damien Niesewand, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a double minor in LGBTQ studies and creative writing.聽The valedictorian of the Class of 2025 was Carrie Ebbin, a proud member of the Macaulay Honors College at 可乐视频 who majored in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in consumer behavior.

Carrie Ebbin said the Class of 2025 was not just celebrating a century of 可乐视频鈥檚 rich history, but also the future they have set in motion.

鈥淲e can be proud that our efforts have not only enriched our time here but generated momentum that will benefit the students that come after us,鈥� Ebbin said. 鈥淎s we鈥檙e graduating into a world that feels volatile, tense, and especially uncertain, it鈥檚 hard to imagine that one person can make a difference. But think about it, how many small moments have you been a part of on campus that helped shape someone鈥檚 experience? These moments sparked something, and they highlighted the change that were all capable of. They created ripple effects extending our reach far beyond what we鈥檇 expect.鈥�

Watch the 100th聽 可乐视频 commencement .

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A Lavender graduate is anyone who is graduating from college and identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. If that applies to you, you are encouraged to sign up to walk at 可乐视频鈥檚 Lavender Graduation ceremony.

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Among the special guests were award-winning filmmaker, philanthropist, and activist Abigail E. Disney, who was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and served as the keynote speaker; 可乐视频 Foundation Trustee Carol L. Zicklin 鈥�61, who was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Honor; and valedictorian for the class, Rhema Mills.

President Michelle J. Anderson congratulates the Class of 2024.

College President Michelle J. Anderson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs April Bedford, and Vice President for Student Affairs Ron Jackson helped lead the conferring of degrees with the deans from the college鈥檚 School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences; School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts; Murray Koppelman School of Business; School of Education; and School of Humanities and Social Sciences as well as the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. The college conferred 2,695 baccalaureate degrees, 1,046 master鈥檚 degrees, and 60 advanced certificates.

Congratulating the Class of 2024, President Anderson pointed to the people who helped get the graduates to this point in their lives, including family, friends, and the 可乐视频 faculty.

鈥淲e could not be prouder of you and what you have accomplished to get to this point in your academic careers,鈥� President Anderson told the Class of 2024. 鈥淵ou have worked so hard and should be proud of the extraordinary milestone you have achieved. It is you who deserve the real praise and credit. You made the important decision to attend college; you embraced critical, scientific, and analytical thinking; you did the hard work, day by day and, in so doing, expanded what is possible in your lives.鈥�

During her keynote speech, Disney pointed to the power of love over hate as she stressed the importance of recognizing the nuances in today鈥檚 complicated political and social climate. Congratulating the Class of 2024, she urged the graduates to lean on compassion and empathy to co-exist and thrive.

President Michelle J. Anderson awards Abigail E. Disney (left) an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Disney鈥檚 2008 film, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, was screened worldwide and chronicled the women鈥檚 peace movement in Liberia that helped bring an end to the bloody civil war that ravaged the country for years. One of the protagonists of the film was Leymah Gbowee, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent efforts during that struggle. Today, Gbowee serves as the executive director of the Institute on Gender, Law, and Transformative Peace, which is a partnership between 可乐视频 and CUNY School of Law.

鈥淚f you can find a way to be more empathic than bitter, if you can find a way to have more questions than answers, more humility than certainty, more love than fear, you won鈥檛 magically suddenly agree about everything, but you will be less quick to describe the person you鈥檙e talking to as bad or evil,鈥� Disney said.

Zicklin is a long-standing 可乐视频 Foundation trustee; she and her husband, Larry, are among the largest donors to 可乐视频 and the CUNY system. At 可乐视频, the Zicklins established two endowed chairs and supported the Sandi Salum Memorial Award for students in biology. They also provided endowed support for the Zicklin Scholars Degree Completion Program for students nearing graduation to take classes in the summer or winter that help keep them on track toward graduation.

鈥淲hen I look out into the audience and see your smiling faces, your sense of optimism, and the life adventures that you鈥檙e all about to experience, I know what you鈥檙e feeling,鈥� Zicklin said. 鈥淚 remember the emotion. I wish you every good fortune in the years to come and I hope your life turns out to be at least as good as mine, and if that wish comes true, I hope that you will remember your time at 可乐视频 and try to provide something for those who come after you. As a friend of mine once said: You learn, you earn, and you return.鈥�

(From left) Abigail E. Disney, Valedictorian Rhema Mills, and President Michelle J. Anderson.

Mills, a first-generation college student and immigrant from the Bahamas who became the first Black woman to serve as valedictorian for the college, persevered through health issues, family tragedies, and a first semester spent studying through a pandemic to become valedictorian.

The health and nutrition sciences major embraced the diversity of 可乐视频 while gaining confidence through conducting research, thanks in part to the Tow Mentoring Initiative, a multifaceted range of programs focused on mentorship opportunities for students and faculty. She presented at conferences and coordinated programs while growing through roles on planning committees and club events, including the Women of Color club.

Electrifying Barclays Center while drawing from Nelson Mandela, Mills said courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

鈥淔or me, courage meant ensuring that my voice was heard even when I felt that no one was listening,鈥� Mills said. 鈥淚t meant applying for scholarships and programs where I would be the only Black woman. Even now, it means daring to dream about a career where my research helps create positive health outcomes for women in marginalized communities.鈥�

Mills, who is ready to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in public health to address chronic diseases and racial disparities, urged the Class of 2024 to find their courage.

Thanking her mentors on and off campus, including her mother and late father, Mills reminded the Class of 2024 that the obstacles they overcame gave them the strength to change the world.

鈥淎s students and now graduates, we have become ambassadors of this institution and our future selves. What do you want the world to know about you and do you have the courage to show it?鈥�

The Class of 2024 was saluted by CUNY Board of Trustees member Una S.T. Clarke, who served in the New York City Council from the 40th District from 1992 to 2001; Mohamed Attalla, CUNY鈥檚 vice chancellor of Facilities Planning, Construction, and Management; Anthony R. Castellanos, chair of the 可乐视频 Foundation Board of Trustees, and others.

A host of elected officials and other distinguished community leaders were also on hand to congratulate the newest 可乐视频 graduates, including U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke of the 9th District, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams ’01, M.A, ’05, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

Wiliams, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree from 可乐视频, pointed to the power of the degrees the graduates now held.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that you understand you have a world-class education,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭hey call 可乐视频 the poor man鈥檚 Harvard. I like to call Harvard the poor man鈥檚 可乐视频.鈥�

And stressing the importance of being kind and respectful in the face of complicated times, Reynoso quoted The Notorious B.I.G. saying, 鈥淪pread love, it鈥檚 the Brooklyn way.鈥�

Watch the entire 99th commencement below.

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College President Michelle J. Anderson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Lopes, and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Ron Jackson, helped lead the conferring of degrees in the college鈥檚 School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts, Murray Koppleman School of Business, School of Education, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Welcoming the special guests, as well as the families and friends of the graduates, President Anderson congratulated the Class of 2023, while thanking the strong faculty and classmates who helped get the graduates to the finish line.

鈥淭hese students worked hard to get here,鈥� President Anderson said. 鈥淭hey tackled rigorous academic work, research projects, internships, jobs, and numerous assignments. Today, they are not the same people who graduated from high school and came to our doors. As a result, they evolved. They explored new ideas about life and what is possible within it, about our history and what makes us human, and ideas that have shaped and changed them for the better, as a college education is designed to do.鈥�

Professor Emerita and Pulitzer and Kennedy Center award-winner served as the keynote speaker and was given an honorary degree. Le贸n, who taught at 可乐视频 for 35 years until her retirement in 2019, was director of music composition at the school鈥檚 Conservatory of Music. She is the first faculty member in any of the City University of New York (CUNY) schools to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center award. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her work “鈥� in 2021.

Having grown up in a lower-income family in Cuba, Le贸n told the Class of 2023 she always dreamed of earning a college degree and that what her family lacked in material wealth they made up in spirit, encouragement, and support. A twist of fate landed her in the United States in her early 20s, and what followed was an incredible career as one of the world鈥檚 preeminent composers, conductors, and educators.

鈥淢y life in 可乐视频, where I taught for 33 years in the Music Department, eventually becoming a distinguished professor, has been the source of enriching experiences, personal growth, and many talented students and personal friends, which have become members of my extended family,鈥� Le贸n said. 鈥淢any of these colleagues and students have been inspirational through their passion and their contributions to society. To see students graduate is a joyful moment for all the professors involved in their journey, including myself. … As you continue on your journey and give service to our societies with your unique talents, you, in turn, will offer your support, encouragement, and powerful spirit that will help others realize their dreams.鈥�

Following Le贸n鈥檚 commencement speech, 可乐视频 Foundation Trustee Leonard Tow 鈥�50, founder and chairman of The Tow Foundation, surprised the audience by announcing that the foundation would be providing support toward the establishment of the Tania Le贸n Chair of Music鈥攖he first-ever named chair in the Conservatory of Music at 可乐视频.

鈥淭he Tania Le贸n Chair will forever recognize and honor your unmatched legacy at 可乐视频 and in the larger world,鈥� Tow said.

可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson presents Leonard Tow 鈥�50, 可乐视频 Foundation Trustee and founder and chairman of The Tow Foundation, with a birthday cake as Evan Silverstein 鈥�76 (left) and Tania Le贸n look on.

President Anderson thanked Tow for his continued support, as the crowd helped him celebrate his recent 95th birthday by singing 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥� led by Joe Damon Chappel 鈥�23 M.M., singer from the 可乐视频 Brass Ensemble.

Silverstein, 鈥�76, 可乐视频 Foundation Board of Trustees Chair was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor. Silverstein has served as a Trustee since 2009. He has led the Foundation鈥檚 efforts to secure vital support for students. Silverstein was a lead supporter of the effort to raise emergency funds for students during the pandemic and established the Renee and Evan Silverstein Internship Fund at 可乐视频.

可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson awards Evan Silverstein, 鈥�76, 可乐视频 Foundation Board of Trustees Chair, with the Presidential Medal of Honor.

Silverstein dedicated his award to 可乐视频 students past, present, and future.

鈥淭o me, my years at 可乐视频 were not just academic,鈥� Silverstein said. 鈥淭he growth, maturity, and awareness that I experienced made me aware of a much bigger world that I never knew. I grew up at 可乐视频. I, my fellow board members, and many others do what we do because we feel we owe it to 可乐视频 to give back and enhance the opportunity for students any which way we can. The fact that you are committed to earning a college degree says a lot about you and bodes well for your future.鈥�

The valedictorian of the Class of 2023 was Chaim Janani, who received his bachelor’s degree in honors for chemistry. Janani congratulated his fellow graduates and credited his academic success to the support and mentorship he received at 可乐视频, which helped him to fulfill his dream of becoming a physician. Following commencement, he will pursue medical school in the fall at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.

The salutatorian, Lisa Leopold- Chaparro, a , and co-teacher at a private preschool in Manhattan, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood. Leopold- Chaparro will continue her studies at 可乐视频 and attend the early childhood education graduate program. She plans to work with at-risk students in public schools.

(Left to right) Class of 2023 Salutatorian Lisa Leopold- Chaparro, 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson, and the valedictorian Chaim Janani.

Other special guests who addressed the Class of 2023 and offered congratulations were U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams ’01, ’05 M.A., and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

The CUNY family was also well-represented, including CUNY Trustee Kevin Kim, who addressed the Class of 2023.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Officially, 可乐视频 conferred 2,871 students who have received baccalaureate degrees, 850 who earned master鈥檚 degrees, and 88 students who will receive advanced certificates.

The Class of 2023 celebrates commencement at Barclays Center.

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“The sacrifices these graduates made and the commitment they showed to complete their degrees were extraordinary,” said 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson. “We are thrilled to be able to hold this commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 on our beautiful campus to share their joy as they continue with this next chapter in their lives.”

The event had a distinct theme鈥攔ecovery, remaining, and resilience鈥攁nd several special guests were on hand to deliver that message.

The stars of Commencement were the resilient and dedicated Roby Daniel, the valedictorian for the Class of 2020, and Asma Awad, the valedictorian for the Class of 2021.

Awad, who is working as a software engineer at JPMorgan Chase & Co., offered advice based on her experiences doing something she loves: coding.

“None of us are immune to making mistakes. It’s one thing to be perfect and another to be your best, and I think that the latter says more about someone than the former,” Award said. “Problems come our way on a daily basis, and we probably share more of them than we think. It doesn鈥檛 take a code review to open up to different perspectives on a single problem鈥�. I can only hope that when so many of you are undoubtedly in positions to recruit, to promote, or to simply make an impact, that you recognize the importance of representation and what it means for the future.”

Daniel, who is currently studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said while he was proud to deliver his speech online to his fellow graduates in 2020, the in-person event was extra special.

“Class of 2020, I want to remind you that adversity was not new to us, even if it may have taken on a different shape and form,” Daniel said. “We made it through our undergraduate journey and two years of our postgraduate career, all while following 可乐视频’s motto: nil sine magno labore鈥攏othing without great effort. As we celebrate today, we can proudly say all the hard work has paid off. Our struggle has forged us into the leaders of tomorrow as we have learned a new way to learn, a new way to teach, and, most importantly, a new way to succeed.”

Serving as keynote speaker was actor, producer, writer, and prolific podcaster ’01, who serves on the board of directors of the 可乐视频 Alumni Association and was also a former adjunct lecturer. Now the executive producer and host of the 2021 Webby Award鈥搉ominated podcast Latinos Out Loud, she is one of seven selected writers for the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s 2021 LatinX Stream Showcase, where her short film The Swimmers premiered. It was also featured in the 2021 Official Latino Film Festival. Her one-woman show, Ink, was a featured selection in the 2021 ONE Festival.

Strauss-Muniz brought energy and humor to the event, expressing her deep love for both Brooklyn and 可乐视频. Comparing the pivots she has made during her eclectic career鈥攑articularly during the pandemic鈥攖hat spanned working in media, marketing, and entertainment, she lauded the more than 9,000 total 可乐视频 graduates of the two classes who also had to pivot to earn their degrees.

“You had a choice to plummet or pivot and you did it. You all rose to the occasion. We all made the decision to shift, adapt, and overcome,” Muniz said. “That ability to shift and still operate will serve you sell as you pursue your ambitions.” Commencement also featured CEO and President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce ’96 as another special guest speaker. From 2002 to 2006, Peers served as vice president of economic development at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce under former President Kenneth Adams, developing a portfolio of projects, including the Good Help program and Real Estate Development industry initiative, as well as developing the concept for the Business Solutions Center.

Peers told the graduates that, as a Brooklyn native who had to work and take classes, he related and respected the difficult journey the classes of 2020 and 2021 had made.

Comparing his work on the city-wide program he helped create to assist 3,000 businesses citywide and 11,000 businesses in Brooklyn over the past difficult few years that leaned on being adaptive and creative, he also marveled at the work that was done by both graduating classes.

“Nothing I experienced at 可乐视频 matches what you went through during your two years navigating the pandemic,”聽Peers said. “No matter how you were impacted or how you pivoted, here you are.鈥� You should be congratulated for your own resiliency.鈥� Never forget the life lessons this challenge has taught you.”

The commencement was led by President Anderson, Vice President for Student Affairs Ronald C. Jackson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Lopes, and other college faculty and staff. The CUNY extended family was also in attendance, including Denise B. Maybank ’78, CUNY Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.

Jackson congratulated the graduates of both classes, emphasizing that they earned a combined 6,793 bachelor’s and 2,231 master’s degrees, along with 137 students who received advance certificates.

New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker was also in attendance, and a video greeting from Jumaane Williams ’01, ’05 M.A. was shared.

Williams called 可乐视频 a “special place,” telling the classes of 2020 and 2021: “Your success comes after your hard work, your sacrifice, and your ability to overcome challenges of the two years and throughout your education… You’re not the leaders of tomorrow, you are the leaders of today, and we are going to need you.”

Stating the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education she earned from 可乐视频 has drawn as much attention and has held as much weight as a degree earned Ivy League institutions, Vice Chancellor Maybank said: “I got an education for a lifetime from the School of Education at 可乐视频… Know that you are the difference the world needs as such a time as this.”

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可乐视频 will hold a special in-person commencement on its campus at 10 a.m. on July 12 to recognize the graduating classes of both 2020 and 2021 since the college was unable to hold an in-person ceremony for them due to pandemic restrictions. The event will be held in the Claire Tow Theater in Whitman Hall.

鈥淭he sacrifices these graduates made and the commitment they showed to complete their degrees were extraordinary,鈥� said 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson. 鈥淲e are thrilled to be able to hold this commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 on our beautiful campus to share their joy as they continue with this next chapter in their lives.鈥�

The commencement will be led by President Anderson, Vice President for Student Affairs Ronald C. Jackson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Lopes, and other college faculty and staff. There will be an address by Roby Daniel, the valedictorian for the Class of 2020 and Asma Awad, the valedictorian for the Class of 2021.

Serving as keynote speaker is actor, producer, writer, and prolific podcaster Rachel Strauss-Mu帽iz 鈥�01. She is executive producer and host of the 2021 Webby Award-nominated podcast, Latinos Out Loud. She is one of seven selected writers for NHMC鈥檚 2021 LatinX Stream Showcase, where her short film, The Swimmers, premiered. It was also featured in the 2021 Official Latino Film Festival. Her one-woman show, Ink, was a featured selection in the 2021 ONE Theatre Festival.

Mu帽iz is currently voicing the role of 鈥淢ama鈥� on the animated series, The Tuttle Twins. Her feature film debut as an actress in Superblocked premiered at the 2021 Warner Media Latino Film Festival and won Best Feature at The Official Latino Film Festival. She also performs alongside Room 28, the multicultural sketch comedy troupe she also produces that is part of the program Bring the Funny. Aside from off-Broadway live comedy show runs, Room 28 won a NYC Indie Film Festival Award for Latino Vortex, a short directed by Saturday Night Live鈥檚 Oz Rodriguez. She is also the creator/producer of The HERlarious Show, an all-female variety show featuring some of the best BIPOC females in sketch, improvisation, stand-up, and musical comedy, among her many other projects.

Commencement will also feature CEO and President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Randy Peers 鈥�96 as another special guest speaker. From 2002鈥�2006, Peers served as vice president of Economic Development at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce under former President Kenneth Adams, developing a portfolio of projects that included the Good Help program and Real Estate Development (RED) industry initiative, as well as developing the concept for the Business Solutions Center. He previously served as the inaugural president and CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) in Berks County, Pennsylvania, overseeing the alignment of the Chamber of Commerce and two economic development organizations. For over a decade, Peers was CEO of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), a Brooklyn-headquartered workforce development organization that was the leading provider of disconnected youth job training services in New York City.

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Today, 可乐视频 celebrated the achievement of more than 4,000 students at its 2022 Commencement at Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. The ceremony, which was full of energy, marked the first in-person commencement in two years.

College President Michelle J. Anderson, Provost, and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Lopes, and Vice President for Student Affairs Ron Jackson helped lead the conferring of degrees from the college鈥檚 School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, School of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts, Murray Koppelman School of Business, School of Education, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the .

Anderson lauded the determination of the Class of 2022, saying that despite everything they faced throughout the difficult times of the pandemic, they stayed the course.

鈥淭he graduates sitting here in Barclays today needed an extraordinary kind of commitment to get to these seats,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淭hey had to tackle rigorous academic work. In so doing, they have been transformed by the power of critical thinking, the scientific method, creativity, and advanced analysis that are the foundations of higher education. They explored new ideas that have shaped their values and beliefs for the future. They have studied with classmates who will become lifelong friends鈥攁nd they have learned from outstanding faculty members who became their cherished mentors.鈥�

The college also welcomed several distinguished guests, including Mayor Eric Adams; U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso; and the president of New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Dr. Guillermo Linares.

Mayor Adams emphasized the importance of the moment and the impact the Class of 2022 will have on society. 鈥淭his is your moment to make this country what you want it to be.鈥�

CUNY was also well-represented, as CUNY Chancellor F茅lix Matos Rodr铆guez; Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Denise Maybank; and CUNY Board of Trustee members Una S. T. Clarke and Brian D. Obergfell, also attended.

Chancellor Rodr铆guez called the day 鈥渁 pure celebration鈥� that validated the graduates鈥� brilliance, grit, and tenacity and congratulated them for overcoming such an extraordinary set of obstacles to ultimately succeed.

Specifically, 可乐视频 conferred 3,195 baccalaureate and 966 master鈥檚 degrees, along with 96 advanced certificates. Included in the Class of 2022 were 10 veterans and service members. In all, 4,257 graduates joined the prestigious 可乐视频 family of more than 160,000 proud alums worldwide.

The valedictorian of the Class of 2022 was Carina D鈥橴rso. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in the . D鈥橴rso earned a perfect 4.00 grade point average and graduated summa cum laude. Following commencement, she will pursue graduate studies in human development and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she plans to concentrate in the arts and learning. The salutatorian was Hafsa Fatima, a Macaulay Honors College graduate and chemistry minor who will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a B.A. in art. She will be attending The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.

D鈥橴rso thanked her advisors, peers, and professors for their support and guidance. She also pointed to the influence her grandparents had in her continuing her education. Born and raised in Molise, the smallest region in Italy, neither attended school past the fifth grade. For this reason, D鈥橴rso鈥檚 mother always instilled the importance of education in her and her brother.

鈥淎s a teenager inspired by the values my mother instilled in me, I became galvanized by the idea of becoming an educator,鈥� D鈥橴rso said. 鈥淲hen it was time to apply for colleges, I knew I wanted to be a commuter student so that I could attend school in the heart of New York City, with countless opportunities at my fingertips. Little did I know how this dream would come true. As a member of the Macaulay Honors College and the CUNY Baccalaureate Program for Unique Interdisciplinary Studies, I built my own major, marrying my passions for the arts, education, and social change.鈥�

Special honorees included Leymah Roberta Gbowee, who served as the honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker. Gbowee is a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and renowned human rights leader who led the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace that worked to end the 14-year civil war in Liberia. She is also the founding head of the Liberian Reconciliation Initiative, a forum for the victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to bring about healing and produce a more accurate accounting of the country鈥檚 devastating civil war.

Gbowee, who today is the executive director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa, congratulated the graduates and their families. She told the story about when she learned she had won the Nobel Prize and had her first meeting with fellow Nobel Prize winner Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Relaying the advice Tutu gave her, she told the graduates the three most important things to remember when they win: cultivate and hold the values that brought them to the win; always hold onto their integrity and their voice; and when they succeed, also do good by humanity.

鈥淐lass of 2022, you will win,鈥� Gbowee said. 鈥淚n the midst of your winning, you can鈥檛 give up on your higher power, whatever that is.鈥�

Other awardees included Leonard Tow 鈥�50, who earned the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Tow is a philanthropist and 可乐视频 Foundation Board of Trustees member. Leonard and his wife, the late Claire Tow 鈥�52, established The Tow Foundation in 1988. Through more than 700 fellowships, scholarships, internships, professorships, and teaching awards, they have enriched the quality of intellectual life for 可乐视频’s entire campus by providing the means to allow its students and faculty to become exceptional in their fields.

The couple also donated $10 million for the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at 可乐视频, which opened in 2018. The state-of-the-art center has transformed the campus footprint and is home to the Conservatory of Music and the Department of Theater.

鈥淭o the 可乐视频 family, Len, as he is known to us, needs no introduction. It is safe to say that his positive impact on the 可乐视频 community is unparalleled,鈥� Anderson said. In a particularly touching moment, Anderson helped recognize Tow鈥檚 94th birthday, which was May 30, and the college community sang happy birthday, presenting him with a cake.

The recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor was Jules Coleman 鈥�68. Coleman is one of the world鈥檚 most renowned scholars of law and jurisprudence. Widely acknowledged to have created the field of the philosophy of tort law, as well as inclusive legal positivism, Coleman was the first and remains the most influential advocate of a corrective justice approach to tort law. A first-generation college student, Coleman received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, magna cum laude, from 可乐视频 in 1968; his Ph.D. in philosophy from Rockefeller University in 1972; and his master of studies in law from Yale Law School in 1976.

About 可乐视频

Widely known for its offer of an excellent education at an affordable tuition and recognized nationally for its diverse student body, 可乐视频 has been an anchor institution within the Borough of Brooklyn and greater New York City for more than 90 years. With approximately 16,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, education, and business, the college is renowned for its rigorous academics, award-winning faculty, distinguished alumni, and community impact. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), 可乐视频 offers a vibrant and supportive student experience on a beautifully landscaped 35-acre campus in the borough鈥檚 Midwood neighborhood.

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