CUNY BA Community Newsletter #5

We are delighted to send you this update on all of the news surrounding the CUNY BA program this semester! This summer, we have had the pleasure of hearing from various members of the CUNY BA community about programs, initiatives, accomplishments, and resources that they felt made the semester great. We hope to be able to include your updates in future issues of our newsletter! If you are a current CUNY BA student who is interested in volunteering for the Communications Team, please contact the CUNY BA Fellows (fellows@cunyba.cuny.edu).

This Newsletter marks both a beginning and an ending. We are welcoming into CUNY BA another cohort of incredible students, who will be pursuing degrees in a wide variety of disciplines, and, at the same time, we are bidding farewell to our outstanding group of Graduate Fellows, several of whom have been with us for two years. With their help and expertise, we have moved the program forward with, to name a few, not only this Newsletter but also with Peer Mentoring, Workshops, Blackboard Organizations, and our first Student Showcase, as well as numerous other less visible, but equally important, accomplishments such as student and faculty surveys, a student assessment model, and useful, and up-to-date databases. We are indeed fortunate to have a new group of Graduate Fellows who are joining us this academic year and we all look forward to building on the progress that has been accomplished. Because our academic world will be kept apart at least through the fall, I extend a well-deserved virtual “pat on the back” to everyone (administrators, mentors, staff, and colleagues), who have given of their time and effort during these past six months in supporting me but also, more importantly, our resilient students. You all have my utmost respect and gratitude.

Starting in the Fall semester, CUNY BA will welcome a new cohort of Graduate Fellows. We are excited for the upcoming academic year with this new group of fantastic doctoral candidates!

Recently, Madelyn Collins (Human Biochemical and Psychological Development, College of Staten Island, '21) interviewed Baruch Associate Professor Steven G. Young (Psychology) about the transition to online learning from a faculty perspective. Additionally, Dr. Young coordinated efforts to assess this transition using psychological research methods. Click here to read more about this research, and how faculty have adjusted to life during digital learning.

By Brittany Rodriguez
(Neuroscience, Brooklyn College, '22)

In the wake of remote learning, many students have found both positives and negatives regarding their virtual courses. While transferring to an online-only system in a short period of time has proved challenging for most, perhaps the hardest transition was for students in the sciences. Nearly all general sciences — including those necessary for students entering health care professions — require a lab component for completion of the course. So how are students completing their labs? Click here to read the full article.

Upcoming Virtual Workshop: Mindfulness While Remote Learning

September 9, 2020, 5:00pm - 5:40pm
Facilitator: Beej Christie Karpen of Insight Out Coaching

(Please note that this event is available only to current CUNY BA students.) This virtual workshop session will include meditation instruction & practice, and tips for reducing stress as the semester begins. Registration in advance is required for this meeting. Please register here with your CUNY email (no personal email accounts will be accepted). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Life Experience Seminars
September 22, 2020, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Sign up here
October 16, 2020, 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Sign up here
November 11, 2020, 10:00am - 11:00am - Sign up here
Online

CUNY BA offers the opportunity for students to earn elective credits awarded for professional college-level experiences accomplished while not enrolled in a bachelor’s degree granting institution. You should discuss with your CUNY BA academic advisor about applying for life experience credits to confirm your eligibility. If you then wish to pursue these credits, you must register for and attend a required workshop. You can find more information about the Life Experience Seminars here.

CUNY can help! There is a Food Pantry available at John Jay. While the website currently says that these services are for John Jay students only, due to COVID-19, any CUNY student can use the service with a CUNY ID. Please contact JJCFoodBank@jjay.cuny.edu with any additional questions.

Additionally, anyone living in NYC can call 311 and have food delivered to them, or learn about places that have food distribution locations they can go to. Please click here for more information.

Are you a current CUNY BA student?
Consider applying to have a peer mentor!

The Peer Mentor Program is a semester-long program that pairs interested CUNY BA students with experienced CUNY BA student mentors. Peer mentors are a valuable resource who can help you navigate the CUNY BA program, and be a source of friendship and support. All peer mentors in the program are student volunteers, and they are eager to help you make the most of your CUNY BA experience! Also, being a peer mentee is a great stepping stone to serving as a peer mentor in future semesters.

Click here to apply to have a peer mentor!

By Elizabeth Soto
(Biotechnology and Neurodegenerative Diseases, City College, '20)

Welcome to our new CUNY BAnter segment! In each issue of the newsletter, we’ll introduce you to a member of the CUNY BA Community. Interested in being featured in our CUNY BAnter section? Let us know at fellows@cunyba.cuny.edu.

In this issue, we would like to introduce you to CUNY BA student and (former) CUNY BA peer mentor Joseph Robinson.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Joseph Robinson, and I'm the oldest of five children. I was raised by a single mother in the rough and tumble neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn. Since I was a little boy I've been an avid reader and a serious student. I love to learn, and I love teaching just as much. My college career began in 1989 when I was 18 years old but was interrupted by a prison stint. I'm determined to finish what I began three decades ago. I'm determined to earn my Bachelor's degree with honors.

What captured your attention about CUNY BA when you first heard about the program?

What captured my attention about CUNY BA was the flexibility to enroll in courses throughout the CUNY system through e-permits and the freedom to name and design my own area of concentration. It was liberating.

What are your academic and/or professional goals?

My academic goal is to earn my Bachelor's degree (AOC: Internet Marketing) within the next two years. I plan to use the knowledge and networks gained from my CUNY BA experience to launch an online personal finance company for people impacted by the criminal justice system.

How does being a CUNY BA student contribute to your goals?

The fact that I am able to take an array of classes in marketing in general, and Internet marketing in particular, will help me tremendously as I pursue my academic and career goals.

Is there anything you've done in CUNY BA that you feel has better prepared you for success?

My Marketing, Speech, Business Law and Principles in Information Technology and Computers classes have singly and collectively prepared me for success.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

I took flying lessons at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY as a 16 year old. My dream was to become an airline pilot.

--- Shadasia Diaz Baez (International Business and Asian Studies, Medgar Evers College, '22) participated in the recent Confucius Institute U.S. Center People-to-People Award Essay Competition, and was selected as one of the ten 2020 People-to-People Award Honorees. Her submission was particularly creative, encouraging, and truly representative of the value of US-China educational and cultural exchanges.

--- Two CUNY BA students are recent recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which is a nationally-competitive award that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.

Kyle Reese (Queer Psychosocial Research, Brooklyn College, '21), pictured below left, will be travelling to Amsterdam to study the Dutch approach to transgender activism and social change by talking to community leaders, academics, and community members. He will also be exploring and working in the IHLIA International LGBT Archives, which contains items that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. (Click here for Kyle's website.)

Olivia Pouget (Environmental Science and Sustainability, John Jay College, '22), below right, aims to use her funding to study environmental studies and indigenous cultural practices in Belize with an organization called Antinanco Earth Arts, which takes students to Belize to learn about sustainable agriculture and tropical reef ecology and restoration by utilizing both indigenous teachers and college professors.

--- New CUNY BA alum Owen Ahmed (Computer Science and Computational Mathematics, City College, '20) was recently commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and will be serving as a Cyber Operations Officer. Until recently, Owen was an IT Assistant at the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

In this newsletter issue: Scholarships

Hi! My name is Kyra Abbu (Computer Science and Statistics, Hunter College, '22), a rising junior at CUNY BA, concentrating in Computer Science and Statistics. CUNY BA is an incredible opportunity and I hope we can maximize it along with the opportunities at our home colleges together. I hope to provide helpful tips to our community. For this issue, I’d like to begin with scholarships!

Here are some tips for applying to scholarships:

--- APPLY FOR MULTIPLE SCHOLARSHIPS. You are allowed to apply for more than one scholarship as long as you believe you possess the relevant experience. Your areas of concentration do not have to align with the scholarship description. You may demonstrate your qualifications through internships, research assistantships, volunteer positions, and others.

--- SPEAK TO THE QUESTION. Scholarship questions may seem repetitive, but each scholarship is unique. With that being said, make sure you answer the question being asked and avoid mistakes when trying to reuse the same answer for multiple questions like referring to a different program, misnaming the scholarship, and the like.

--- ASK FOR THE RECOMMENDATION LETTER(S) EARLY. It is advised to have your faculty mentor write your recommendation letter. If you do not have a faculty mentor at the moment, you may request a letter from another source. Note that you are allowed to use the same recommendation letter for all of the scholarships to which you are applying.

--- APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS AT YOUR HOME COLLEGE. Every student is encouraged to apply to opportunities at their respective home colleges. However, there may be opportunities that you are ineligible for as a CUNY BA student, so please reach out about each opportunity to make sure you are eligible.

--- ASK. If you are someone who cannot write down the spectacular things you have done, ask someone you trust to describe you. If you are unsure about your eligibility to apply, what an application question is asking, or would like to know more about particular scholarship details, ask Regina Matthews, Coordinator of Alumni Affairs, Scholarships, and Special Events, at regina.matthews87@cunyba.cuny.edu.

CUNY BA will begin accepting applications for the below listed scholarships on August 21st, 2020. The application deadline is October 2nd, 2020, unless otherwise stated. Scholarships will be awarded in Fall 2020, with the exception of The Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship (for which funding begins the following semester).

• The Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship
• The Memorial Scholarship for Students in Social Work, Human Services, Health or Education
• The Sheila and Helena O’Donoghue Award
• The Anne Duncan Somsen Memorial Fund (for new students only)
• The Barbara Sproul Scholarship
• The Dora and Seymour Rosen Memorial Scholarship
• The Barbara Price Fellowship (for new students only; please note that The Barbara Price Fellowship is already accepting applications until August 28, 2020)

Click here for more information about Fall 2020 scholarship applications.
A complete list of CUNY BA scholarships can be found here. Visit the FAQs page or contact Regina Matthews if you have any questions.

Final thoughts from Kyra:
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
— Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh