The CUNY Baccalaureate Blog

Dear CUNY Baccalaureate,

I am a CUNY BA grad ‘05 and also a Thomas W. Smith Fellow.  Since graduating with dual concentration in Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Literature, I went on to receive an MA degree from Columbia University’s Paris campus in French Cultural Studies.

After completing the degree in September 2006, I worked at the International Rescue Committee with youth from all over Africa and Asia.  In May 2007, I began a 6 months internship with UNHCR in Dadaab, Kenya — a group of refugee camps near the Somali border.  In February I was hired by Mapendo International and now work as a consultant.  I am currently seconded to UNHCR and am working in Kakuma, another refugee camp near the Sudanese and Ugandan borders.

Working and living in refugee camps is not easy, but the rewards are well worth it.

CUNY BA was so instrumental in both my academic and professional trajectory and I really support the program.  I also wanted to send a special thank you to Mr. Smith, if you can pass along my gratitude.

Kind regards,

Jaylene Ney

Bonnie Duen considered a number of different career tracks before hitting upon her true passion for public service. First, she attended Adelphi University to study Biology to become a dentist.  Then, she went to Queens College to study Accounting.  The following semester she switched to Food and Nutrition.  An office job in an architecture firm led her to change her interests to a career in Architectural Design, which led her to Queensborough Community College.  There she served in the Student Government, first as Executive Secretary, then Evening Vice President, then as President - the first Asian-American female President of her class.

Suddenly, Duen was bitten by the public service bug.  She entered the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, making John Jay her home college.  Under the guidance of John Jay faculty mentor Professor Jeanne-Marie Col, Public Management, she designed her own major, “Leadership Studies in Public Policy,” using courses from John Jay and Baruch Colleges.

Duen became a New York City Urban Fellow upon her graduation in 2006.  The Urban Fellows Program provides an unparalleled opportunity for young professionals to gain meaningful work experience in public policy, urban planning and government operations as they consider careers in public service. Duen was assigned to the Economic Development Corporation - Real Estate Development.

Today, Duen is participating in the National Urban Fellowship Inc, a nonprofit organization in collaboration with Baruch College CUNY, which involves an accelerated 14-month Master degree in Public Policy and nine months of hands-on work experience mentorship, which prepares leaders with with a strong commitment to equity and social justice issues for service in public and private organizations.

During her nine month mentorship, Duen has been with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest foundation dedicated to awarding grants for the improvement of health and healthcare, working at AARP’s National Office in Washington, D.C.  This exceptional opportunity has provided Duen with dual experience in philanthropy and advocacy.

Born in Portland and raised in New York City, Duen feels she has the best of both worlds with her Hong Kong heritage and exposure to American culture as an “ABC” (American-born Chinese).  After her interest in public service was sparked in the Queensborough Community College’s Student Government, she went on to work with Council member of District 20 John C. Liu, working on improving constituent services. In April 2005, she was chosen to participate in the prestigious Salzburg Seminar in Austria, where she studied global citizenship and World War II.  Believing that the prevention of wars lies in civic duty, she founded “CUNY Unity” at John Jay College to encourage students to be proactive in making a difference.

Duen is always refining her mission as to how she can have an impact in this global society.  Her future plans are to travel around the world to share best practices and encourage lifelong learning.  Currently, she is searching for a dual JD/Ph.D. program in Global Leadership Development.  She would like to work on projects that address the intersections between economic development, education policy and social services in all sectors and levels of government.  She is interested in running for political office with a goal of establishing a scholarship/leadership program involving all levels of government that encourages young adults in public service.  Her own experiences have taught her the importance of civic engagement and the difference that one person can make in giving back to society.

http://www.sps.cuny.edu/programs/offcampus/registration_course_descriptions.pdf

Algebra
Work Place and the Arts (exposure to reflection upon the Arts in NYC)
Written Communication
Introduction to Disabilities
Nature of New York (great science course and will be offered again in the fall as well)
Understanding Adult Learning (usually a graduate course, but the material is great for any adult)

Register using the form on their website as well as epermit.

 

The City University of New York is proud to offer a new and exciting Fall internship opportunity in New York City for selected students, coordinated by the Edward T. Rogowsky Internship Program in Government & Public Affairs. The CUNY Women’s Public Leadership Intern Program will provide highly qualified individuals the opportunity to learn by doing in the offices of selected legislators working to benefit women and promote women’s issues in New York. The Program is open to any student who has completed 30 credits by the Fall 2008 term. Any major may apply, but students who wish to be considered should demonstrate an interest in women’s issues and policies in New York. Applicants must carry a 3.0 GPA, and must submit 2 confidential faculty recommendation forms along with their applications. CUNY will award a stipend of $2,000 to each student. Selected participants will be eligible to earn academic credit by enrolling in a seminar and internship course on their college campus. Interns will be expected to serve 10-15 hours per week for the duration of the fall semester. Placement will be in the local offices of female legislators at the city, state and national levels. For further information please contact your Campus Faculty Coordinator or designated college officer. For the application: http://www.geocities.com/etrinternship/html/womensleadership.htm

The Amgen Scholars Program provides hundreds of selected undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage in a hands-on research experience at some of the nation’s leading educational institutions. Currently, 10 universities host the summer research program. Amgen Scholar have the opportunity to: Take part in important university research projects, gain hands-on lab experience and contribute to the advancement of science; Interact with and receive guidance from faculty mentors, including some of the nation’s top academic scientists; Attend scientific seminars, workshops and other networking activities. The Program includes a mid-summer, three-day symposium where students will hear firsthand from leading scientists working in industry and academia. The symposium will be held in California, and will provide students a great opportunity to network with other Amgen Scholars from across the nation.

Host Universities: California Institute of Technology; Columbia University/Barnard College; Howard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, San Diego; University of California, San Francisco; University of Washington.

For eligibility requirements and an application:  www.amgenscholars.com

 

 

Tuesday, May 6 at 6pm
Visual Arts Theater
333 West 23 Street, New York
Free and open to the public

As part of the 19th annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) will present Screenwriters Night, a showcase of thesis screenplays of the Master Class in Screenwriting at SVA. Held at the newly acquired Visual Arts Theater in Chelsea, the evening, directed and produced by CUNY Baccalaureate Student Cathy Haase, will feature a repertory of professional actors reading excerpts from thirteen screenplays, along with video interviews with each of the screenwriters.

april-2008-mentorgram

A regular communication with CUNY faculty serving as CUNY Baccalaureate Degree mentors.  This issue contains new Area of Concentration examples plus feedback from students and alumni.

 

 

Upcoming graduates who are not attending the CUNY BA commencement should please complete and return the answers to these questions by June 15, 2008 to Beth Kneller, bkneller@gc.cuny.edu - by email or fax to 212-817-1512.

NAME (please print) __________________________ DAYTIME PHONE (___)_________________

EMAIL _______________________________________________________

I. AWARD INFORMATION: List up to five recent awards, scholarships, prizes, or honors that you have received.  Include the full information — do not abbreviate any title. Specify which college gave the award, if applicable.  Make the information as clear and readily understood as possible.  TYPE OR PRINT NEATLY, PLEASE.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

II. GRADUATE SCHOOL. If you are applying to or have been accepted to a graduate program, please tell us.  Include the name of the school, degree you will be seeking, and any special fellowship or awards you have received.  Indicate clearly which schools have already accepted you, which you are still waiting to hear from.  (If you get accepted after you submit this form, please email the updated information to bkneller@gc.cuny.edu)

SCHOOL & PROGRAM APPLIED TO:                     IS ACCEPTANCE MADE OR PENDING?:

________________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

III. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. If you earned a new position, promotion or raise as a result of earning the degree please tell us here:

________________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

IV. STUDY ABROAD. If you did a Study Abroad program while in CUNY BA, did you go:

Full year _____     One Semester _____    Summer _____    Winter Intercession _____

If you did a Study Abroad program for summer or winter OR if you did not do a Study Abroad program at all, would you have done a full semester or a full year if funding had been available?

Yes___       No___

Thank you!

Beth G. Kneller, Deputy Director

 

April Mojica has just begun her graduate studies at George Mason University in the M.A. in English Literature.  She lives in in Fairfax County, Virginia, with her teenage daughter, Zuri.  She also plans to take classes at George Washington University, where she works in the Division of Human Resources. Mojica graduated from the CUNY Baccalaureate in 2005, cum Laude and as a member of Chi Alpha Epsilon Academic Honor Society.  In the CUNY Baccalaureate, she designed areas of concentration in World Literature and Writing under the direction of Professor Steven Nardi, English, Medgar Evers College.  She is the recipient of a number of awards including: Competitive Fellowship, Federated Fellow of APARC, Boston University; Medgar Evers College (MEC) Student of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award, 2005; College/Departmental Service Award, English Dept. MEC; Provost’s Distinguished List Award, MEC; and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship.  While she was an undergraduate, she was a presenter at the Uncovering Connections Conference in 2004; a performer for the Women’s Creative Expressions/Center for Women’s Development in 2005; a participant at the ATHGO International Symposium, U.N., 2005; and she organized “On the Soap Box” for the Democracy Project in 2005.

Mojica recently wrote to the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, saying:  “I enjoyed a transformational, wonderful, rich and varied undergraduate career at CUNY (second to none!).  I miss it and long to come back one day soon as a professor.  It was not been a straight shot for me, first obtaining my GED, then my A.A. and finally my BA, but my B.A. was my crowning achievement.   I was the first in my family, on both sides (and I have eight siblings) to get so far academically.  I had exceptional experiences awarded me through Medgar Evers College, CUNY, and the CUNY Baccalaureate Program — a scholarship, a fellowship to Africa, an invitation by Medgar Evers College to be the keynote speaker at their annual gala, a research internship, a job as Editor of Medgar Evers’ student newspaper, even my face on the buses and trains of NYC (Editor’s Note:  Mojica’s image and story were part of a comprehensive CUNY Public Relations campaign).  These were unimaginable honors for me – almost too much to process all at once.  But, process them I did.  Now that all the fanfare is over, and the golden dust has settled and blown away, I am still here with my dreams and drive.

I never miss an opportunity to learn or be inspired, if I can help it. I was just in NYC this weekend for both the 9th Annual National Black Writers Conference (held at Medgar Evers College) and the 21st Anniversary of the International Cross Cultural Black Women’s Studies Institute where I wildly harvested all of the inspirational energy of those varieties to sustain me until next year.  For now I am here in the Midatlantic and have rooted enough to know that Georgetown does National Poetry month up well and will feature some old favorites.

I’ve attached a link to an article written about me by the alternative high school I attended. When the Director of Y.A.L.A (Young Adult Learning Academy, Manhattan Valley) looked up on the train and saw my face on the CUNY poster, he knew that not only had I succeeded in obtaining my GED but was even on the verge of graduating with my B.A. so he wanted an article from me for his current students to read.”

http://www.youthcomm.org/NYC%20Features/April2006/NYC-2006-04-14b.htm

For further information contact Beth Kneller, Deputy Director, 212-817-8238, bkneller@gc.cuny.edu