Five BMCC GUIDE Program Students Receive Scholarships to NYU

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Academic Affairs announced that five BMCC students from the Gallatin Undergraduate Initiative for Discovery in Education (GUIDE) pipeline program have received scholarships to New York University (NYU).

Linguistics major Susan Guerrero, Business Administration major Isa Mendez, Liberal Arts major Diya Qazeili Moushahwar, Writing and Literature major Wesley Sanders and Writing and Literature major Chandani Smith will enroll at NYU in Fall 2020.

The GUIDE pipeline program is part of a unique BMCC and New York University (NYU) partnership that allows a select group of currently enrolled BMCC students the chance to utilize the NYU academic support system. This includes mentors, the chance to familiarize themselves with the NYU campus and connect with like-minded students. Students in in the program receive NYU IDs and are eligible for scholarships upon graduation from BMCC and enrollment at NYU.

“The GUIDE scholars will continue to work with their Gallatin advisors and serve as mentors to the next cohort of GUIDE Finalists,” said Dean for Student Affairs Michael Hutmaker. “For this group in particular, this has been very unique semester but they managed to pivot and navigate through the changes.”

“From the time we first met these students at the interviews through their acceptance into the 4th GUIDE cohort, we had a feeling that this would be the ultimate outcome,” Hutmaker said. “They impressed us (and NYU) with their talent and drive that BMCC students embody.”

The GUIDE scholars say they are grateful to have been awarded the scholarship and opportunity to continue their studies at NYU.

“Gallatin provides a truly unique opportunity for students like myself who are interested in interdisciplinary work, and without this scholarship that opportunity wouldn’t have been available to any of us,” said Chandani Smith. “At BMCC, I had professors who pushed me, encouraged me to take risks, and supported me every single step of the way. I got so much more from my time at BMCC than I had bargained for, and I will always be grateful for that.”

Wesley Sanders said “winning the scholarship really meant everything to me. It was a confirmation that I was good enough and smart enough to make it to one of the best universities in New York City.”

He said the support BMCC provided prepared him for this next chapter of his academic career. 

“Before enrolling at BMCC, I was out of school for 10 years, so it’s safe to share that I was nervous about how I would transition back into school, Sanders said. ” My time at BMCC has showed me that I am hardworking, resilient, and can take anything that life throws at me.”

Sanders said in ten years, he sees himself being a published author focusing on the Black experience and an English professor or public school teacher.