CWE Blog

New International Collaboration

��Ӱҵ CWE — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:10:47 -0400

��Ӱҵ CWE signs a MOU with University American College Skopje (UACS)

The interdisciplinary approach at ��Ӱҵ CWE fosters collaborations that enrich academic exchanges and cultivate a global perspective on education and research.

This 4th of July, Dean Juan Carlos Mercado signed an MOU with University American College Skopje (UACS)'s rector, Prof. Marjan I. Bojadjiev, initiating an international collaboration. This partnership will facilitate the development of joint and collaborative research projects, student and faculty exchanges!

The University American College Skopje (UACS) is the only internationally accredited university in the Republic of North Macedonia, offering a wide range of study programs with European and American accreditation. Renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and global competitiveness, the university stands out among private institutions in the country. Its mission is to foster ambitious people with strong moral values, driving advancements in knowledge and societal progress.

Thank you Dr. Sophia Demitriou

��Ӱҵ CWE — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 14:04:23 -0400

After over a decade of dedicated service, Dr. Sophia Demetriou, Executive Director for Student Affairs at ��Ӱҵ CWE, has retired. Since joining in 2012, she has been instrumental in establishing a vibrant Office of Student Affairs that significantly enhanced the out-of-classroom experience for our adult learners. Her impact will live on ��Ӱҵ CWE for years to come. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for her exceptional service and wish her all the best in her retirement!

Profile:

Dr. Sophia Demetriou joined CWE as the Executive Director for Student Affairs. Her goal was to create an office that would play an important role in the coordination and delivery of services that will support the out-of-classroom experience of the CWE adult learner. She has already succeeded.

Since the opening of the office in fall 2012, Dr. Demetriou has been busy providing a variety of programs and services, which include: senior orientation, graduate school fair, professional development workshops, graduate school prep assistance, along with one-on-one career advisement.

Dr. Demetriou has over 20 years of experience in management and administration on the university level. Dr. Demetriou began her academic career on the faculty side. After earning her Ph.D. and teaching at Monclair State University and several CUNY senior colleges, her interest grew beyond instruction. Dr. Demetriou would go on to hold positions that included:Director of the Office of Cooperative Education & Internship Programs at Queens College; Co-op Coordinator and Continuing Education Program Assistant at York College - where her interest in program development and administration intensified thus leading her to pursue a career in administration.She also taught Spanish Language & Literature.She holds a BA from Queens College and a Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center.

As the former Director of the Career Center at City College on the main campus, Dr. Demetriou developed a client base of over 500 companies in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors and integrated career services into a comprehensive career development system.

Her introduction to CWE began in 2009 when Dean Juan Carlos Mercado asked her to visit the Center to discuss the possibility of providing career services to CWE students. As a result of that meeting, CWE was provided a career counselor on a part-time basis.

Student Spotlight: Lucero Saavedra Huerta

��Ӱҵ CWE — Sat, 25 May 2024 14:14:18 -0400

Lucero Saavedra Huerta has shown incredible resilience and determination in pursuing her education. Originally from Mexico, Lucero immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager and faced many challenges, including learning English and becoming a young mother. Despite these obstacles, she never wavered in her determination to pursue her dreams.

Her journey took her through high school graduation and eventually earning her associate’s degree. Now pursuing a major in early childhood education, Lucero has received the Women’s Forum Education Fund Award, a $10,000 grant that has eased the financial burden of her studies. This support has allowed her to focus on her coursework and career goals, including her aspiration to become a special education teacher.

In addition to the Women’s Forum Education Fund Award, Lucero has also been a recipient of the Dreamers Scholarship and currently works as a paraprofessional in the New York City Department of Education. Her deep commitment to working with children and giving back to her community drives her ambitions.

Reflecting on her journey, Lucero emphasizes her belief in the importance of pursuing dreams and never giving up. She sees herself as a dreamer, striving to create a better future for herself and her children while inspiring others to follow their passions. Lucero Saavedra Huerta's story is a testament to perseverance, resilience, and the transformative power of education in overcoming adversity and achieving one's dreams.

Link to Articles:
CUNY Newswire | Women's Forum

Watch Lucero Saavedra Huerta at the Award Winners' Scholar Interviews
Hosted by ��Ӱҵ CWE Alumna Darresa Rodriguez, Herself a 2022 Awardee

Women’s Forum Education Fund Award (2025 Applications will open Sep 1, 2024)
Since 1987, the Women’s Forum Education Fund Award has recognized and supported extraordinary women over the age of 35, who have overcome extreme adversity to resume their education. Our unrestricted $10,000 grants are awarded directly to the recipient for any costs associated with advancing her education.

��Ӱҵ CWE Celebrates 12 Impressive Women’s Forum Education Fund Winners to Date!
2025: Applications will open Sep 1, 2024 https://www.womensforumny.org/apply
2024: Sena Tossou
2023: Lucero Saavedra Huerta
2022: Rainbow Sarah Farr, Darresa Rodriguez
2021: Patriece Spann
2020: Sandra Serrano, Michelle Caines, Sheila Castillo
2019: Kereen Brown
2018: Jilian Alvelo
2014: Rita Rivera
2010: Christa Meir-Staude

2024 Awards & Scholarships Ceremony

��Ӱҵ CWE — Thu, 23 May 2024 13:56:02 -0400

Last night was our Awards & Scholarships Ceremony

Huge congratulations to all our awards and scholarships recipients: Alina Reyes, Ana Cano, Christanya Symplice (Divisional Valedictorian), D’Asia Fields (not pictured), Fatema Zohara, Harpreet Kaur, Hawa Diallo, Josef Rodriguez, Laura Valle, Mary Surin (not pictured), Nilda Cruz, Nelson Igunma, Sheerel Abraham, Talisa Smith, and Tiffany Ramirez Duncan (Divisional Salutatorian)! Your hard work and dedication have been rightfully recognized, and we are incredibly proud of your achievements.

We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to our generous donors and sponsors: Ms. Katherine Titakis, Dr. Justin Williams, Mr. Daniel Rivera, Mr. Nicholas Titakis, Mr. David Bellin, Mr. Peter Kinoy and Dr. Mary Lutz, Dr. Devon T. Wade Award Committee, Ms. Sandra Abramson, Mr. Michael Wellner, Ms. Donna Ramer (Quest President), Mr. Robert Hartmann, Mr. Bradley Tusk and the Stern Family, and Ms. Elaine Martin. Your support has been instrumental in making these awards and scholarships possible. Thank you for your unwavering commitment in supporting our talented students.

Additionally, we want to recognize the tireless efforts of the ��Ӱҵ CWE Awards and Scholarships Committee: Dr. Joan Robinson, Dr. Rafia Zafar, Dr. Andrew Aprile, and Ms. Trisha Baboolal. Your hard work and commitment behind the scenes make this celebration of achievement possible.

What a wonderful night!

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

DEAN'S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Christanya Symplice (Divisional Valedictorian)
Tiffany Ramirez Duncan (Divisional Salutatorian)

CWE DIVISIONAL COMMITTEE ON INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE PANAFRICAN PRIZE
Hawa Diallo

ELENA TITAKIS MEMORIAL AWARD
Alina Reyes

ADA SHEPARD AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING
Josef Rodriguez

EDWARD RIVERA PRIZE FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Josef Rodriguez

EUGENE BELLIN AWARD
Nelson Igunma

FRANCES S. PATAI ESSAY PRIZE
Ana Cano

MICHAEL WELLNER ("CAPTAIN MIKE") SCHOLARSHIP
Josef Rodriguez

THE QUEST PETER COTT AND KEN LEEDOM MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
D'Asia Fields
Mary Surin

QUEST SCHOLARSHIP
Nelson Igunma
Harpreet Kaur
Mary Surin

ROBERT HARTMANN SCHOLARSHIP
Laura Valle
Fatema Zohara

SAMUEL WALLACH '29 AWARD FOR EDUCATORS
Sheerel Abraham

THE DEAN & WILLIAM MATZKIN SCHOLARSHIP
Ana Cano
Josef Rodriguez

ANGELIE T. (TERRY) DEFIORE AND ARLENE SANDRA ABRAMSO SCHOLARSHIP
Nilda Cruz

SUSAN KNOPF KINOY SOCIAL JUSTICE PRIZE
Nelson Igunma

THE DR. DEVON T. WADE AWARD
Hawa Diallo

HENRY J. STERN SCHOLARSHIP
Talisa Smith

MATHEW K. AMBERG SCHOLARSHIP
Nelson Igunma

True Story is First-Rate Drama

��Ӱҵ CWE — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:35:32 -0400

If you have never heard of the Post Office scandal in the UK where 900 innocent UK Post Office employees were pursued and prosecuted (from 1999 to 2015) for theft and other crimes the new mini-series “Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office” in PBS Masterpiece is for you.

The original ITV series screened in January in the UK, ignited the mainstream media, the general public and politicians into action. It led to a petition with a million signatures within a few weeks calling for the Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells to be stripped of her CBE for “bringing the honors system into disrepute.”

The drama, starring Toby Jones as Alan Bates, shows how the Post Office management ignored common sense and used underhand methods to prosecute hundreds of their own (often long standing) employees because of discrepancies between branch post office accounts and the error prone and not fit-for-purpose accounting system, Horizon, used by the Post Office. Many of the innocent were given jail terms, suffered financial and health ruin including suicide.

Thirty employees in Northern Ireland were also affected and faced financial and personal ruin like their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales. Their accounts are harrowing and documented by the Post Office Horizon Public Enquiry which is ongoing until September 2024.

It is hard to watch this series or read the book “The Great Post Office Scandal” by Nick Wallis without dismay for all the nefarious maneuvers employed by the Post Office, their investigators and lawyers, to hound innocent and blameless men and women that had taken pride in working in their communities.

As well as the four episodes, there is an hour-long documentary about the scandal available on PBS as well – the series began on April 7 with all episodes available by April 28.

The impact of the “Mr. Bates vs The Post Office” series demonstrates how drama can tell a story so effectively. Alan Bates is the hero of the series and of the long running scandal. From the very beginning he insisted that the IT system was faulty but to no avail. In 2019 he and his team won a significant court case victory against the PO and he is still a guiding light in trying to win adequate compensation for all those whose lives were ruined.

Seamus Scanlon is the Librarian, ��Ӱҵ’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, at The Center for Worker Education

True Story is First-Rate Drama
Author: Seamus Scanlon | ��Ӱҵ CWE's Librarian
Date: April 17, 2024
Published By: The Irish Echo
Link to Original Article: https://www.irishecho.com/2024/4/true-story-is-first-rate-drama-864e1f5a-421b-45bb-8ca3-623121ee2d12

The Milton Stern Scholarship Workshop

��Ӱҵ CWE — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:21:03 -0400

On Monday, March 18th, students and guests attended 'The Milton Stern Workshop: Pathways to Careers in Financial Advising,' organized by Professor Joan Robinson and supported by The Milton Stern (1957) Scholarship, Bridgewater Advisors, and The Foundation for City College. The event showcased pathways to careers in financial advising and provided guidance to City College of New York students on accessing scholarship and internship support. Guest speakers included Dr. Karen Altfest and Dr. Lewis Altfest.

About the Speakers

Karen Altfest

Karen Caplan Altfest, Ph.D., CFP®, is a Principal Advisor at Altfest Personal Wealth Management. She helps many of the firm’s clients on a variety of investment and financial planning issues and specializes in helping women clients and widows. Karen’s Financially Savvy Woman® programs, including the Women’s Financial $pa®, are popular with clients. Her focus is to educate and empower women.

Karen is frequently a speaker on the subject of women and money and conducts educational seminars for recent widows and people looking to retire. In 2017, Karen’s article, “Life After Loss: 6 Smart Steps for Coping with Widowhood,” was published by the American Association of Individual Investors Journal. Karen was also featured in “Say What? A Dying Man Says ‘Don’t Worry’ About His Wife” on WSJ.com in 2016. She is a frequent contributor to Rethinking65.com.

Karen is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, holds BA and MA degrees from Hunter College, and holds the CFP® designation. Karen received her Ph.D. in history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).

She was the Co-Director of the Financial Planning and Investments Program at The New School in New York City and the Coordinator of the Financial Planning program, a professional program for financial planners, which she originated at Pace University in White Plains, N.Y.

Awards and Recognition

Recognized as a “Top Women Wealth Advisor” by Forbes, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Named to Crain’s New York Business’ list of “Notable Women in Finance”, 2018, 2019
Selected as a “Best-In-State Wealth Advisor” by Forbes, 2018, 2019, 2020
Selected as one of the “120 Best Financial Advisers” by Medical Economics
Author of Keeping Clients for Life (John Wiley & Sons)
Co-Author of Lew Altfest Answers Almost All Your Questions about Money (McGraw-Hill), named one of the best financial planning books by Money magazine

Lewis Altfest

Lewis J. Altfest, Ph.D., is CEO, Chief Investment Officer and a Principal Advisor for Altfest Personal Wealth Management®. He directs the firm’s Investment and Leadership Committees, and leads the Portfolio Action Group, which sets investment strategy for client portfolios.

Prior to founding the firm in 1983, he was a General Partner and Director of Research for Lord Abbett & Co., a large mutual fund and investment management company that manages more than $100 billion in assets. Lew began his investment career as a research analyst at Wertheim & Co.

Lew was the sole recipient of the 2007 Charles R. Schwab IMPACT Award® – the highest distinction in the profession – for his sustained vision, outstanding leadership and client commitment.

His academic textbook, Personal Financial Planning, was published by McGraw-Hill and is currently used at universities around the country. Lew is also co-author of Lew Altfest Answers Almost All Your Questions About Money, named one of the best financial planning books by Money magazine, and co-author of An Introduction to Business.

Lew is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University, where he teaches financial planning and investments. In addition to the books listed above, Lew is the author of many scholarly articles on financial planning and investments.

Lew is listed in Who’s Who in Finance and Who’s Who in America.

Lew received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). He has an MBA from New York University and a BBA from Baruch College. He also holds the CFA, CFP®, CPA and PFS designations.

Awards and Recognition

Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in the Nation, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in the Country, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Career Achievement Award from CUNY for his “integral role in the development of the financial planning profession,” 2006

Shania Grosvenor Memorial

��Ӱҵ CWE — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:00:00 -0500

It is with great sadness that I bring you the news that one of our students, Ms. Shania Grosvenor, passed away in her sleep on Tuesday, November 7. Shania joined the CWE community this fall term after obtaining her Associate's degree at BMCC. At BMCC, she made an impression as an energetic, determined, and caring student. Her early childhood program advisor, Jen Gilken, described Shania as a bright light, who was very successful and enthusiastic during her time at BMCC. In her brief time at CWE, Shania was excelling in classes.

A go-getter, Shania was enrolled as a full-time student in CWE’s ECE program and a member of the ACE program in its inaugural year at CWE. Earning a full scholarship to complete her degree on time, Shania was well on her way to completing her BS degree by June of 2025. Her ACE advisor, Scott Gannis, shared his first impression, “Shania struck me as a very warm, curious, and effervescent soul.”

Shania will be missed by us all as we grieve the loss of one of our own. The family is working on funeral arrangements which will be sent to you soon.

Regards,

JcMercado

Dean, Center for Worker Education

��Ӱҵ: #11 in Social Mobility!

��Ӱҵ CWE — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 13:56:56 -0400

City College's impressive #11 ranking in social mobility, as bestowed by U.S. News, underscores its steadfast commitment to delivering a high-quality education to students from all walks of life, regardless of their financial circumstances. This achievement stands as a testament to the college's unwavering dedication to providing equal opportunities in higher education.

Learn +

#payitforward911

��Ӱҵ CWE — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:38:46 -0400

Inspired to never forget the ones who perished on 9/11, and by the compassionate heroes who helped restore faith in humanity the Pay it Forward 911 "11 Days of Kindness and Unity" began over 20 year ago. ��Ӱҵ CWE received this random gesture of kindness today - the fourth floor offices of 25 Broadway sent us some delicious pizza from Grotto's Pizzeria.

"We said we would "never forget" those who perished on 9/11 and the compassionate heroes who helped us restore faith in humanity.

Inspired by compassionate Canadians on 9/11, our tradition began more than 20 years ago, on the first anniversary of the attacks. This year, our aim is to restore the kindness and unity the world witnessed in 2002.To honor them, we need your help to perform at least 23,000 good deeds for 2023 Pay it Forward 9/11 during our 11 Days of Kindness and Unity (Sept 1st-11th)."

- #payitforward911 #NeverForget

Learn more here: www.payitforward911.org

Faculty Highlight - Campbell Dalglish

��Ӱҵ CWE — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:37:30 -0400

Guest Associate Professor Campbell Dalglish's film, Savage Land, is an official selection of the Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival, and will be screening alongside competitive works from around the world to anthropologists, who will then have online access to all films participating in scholarly discussions through December 8.

Storyline: When Custer County Police kill an 18 year old Cheyenne Arapaho boy in his family's kitchen, descendants of the Sand Creek and Washita Massacres take us back 150 years to reveal how the horrors of the past are still in America today.
Running time: 90 minutes

Visit https://savagelandfilm.com/ to learn more about the film and the filmmakers.

Read +

Irish Echo Quotes Séamus Scanlon & Danielle Zach on Frederick Douglass' Dublin Visits

��Ӱҵ CWE — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:36:20 -0400

The Irish Echo, the largest circulation Irish American weekly newspaper, quotes our librarian Séamus Scanlon and Professor & Patai Program Director's Danielle Zach on a piece on Frederick Douglass' historic visits to Dublin.

“Douglass’ visit had a big impact on his philosophy and subsequent campaigns. He recognized that slavery, colonization, landlords, the subjugation of women, poverty and inequality were all part of a continuum of human rights violations.” – Séamus Scanlon.

“Belfast’s statue of Frederick Douglass—one of history’s staunchest champions of human rights and dignity for the oppressed and marginalized—is a fitting homage to a courageous person whom we should each struggle to emulate. His presence in Northern Ireland—a still fraught political space where the struggle to realize justice for Troubles victims continues in the face of formidable forces advocating for impunity—stands as a profound symbol of hope for a future of peace with rights and justice for all in the Six Counties and beyond.” – Danielle Zach

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Forbes' Top 25!

��Ӱҵ CWE — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:27:21 -0400

"Attending CUNY City College in West Harlem typically requires students who borrow to take on median federal loans of $11,990. The earnings boost they get from graduating from the four-year public school allows them to pay down the net cost of their degree with 0.36 years of excess earnings, according to data from Third Way. Undergraduates at City College—who can major in mathematics education, architecture, and engineering—earn a median salary of $65,700 six years after graduation." – Forbes

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Top 389 Colleges 2024

��Ӱҵ CWE — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:34:11 -0400

��Ӱҵ is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduates according to The Princeton Review. The education services company profiles and recommends ��Ӱҵ in the new edition of its annual college guide, The Best 389 Colleges: 2024 Edition. Notably, ��Ӱҵ is listed among the best in the Northeast.

Princeton Review editors praise the school for its “quality and challenging education,” and quote ��Ӱҵ students surveyed by the company. The students hailed ��Ӱҵ’s "broad curriculum,” with special mention for its “rigorous sciences” and an engineering school that is “one of the best public schools."

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2023 Women’s Forum Education Fund Award

��Ӱҵ CWE — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:33:00 -0500

Two ��Ӱҵ CWE students are recipients of the 2023 Women’s Forum Education Fund Award, which supports women over the age of 35 who have overcome adversity to resume their education. The unrestricted $10,000 grants are awarded directly to the recipient for any costs associated with advancing her education. Rainbow Sarah Farr is an early childhood education major. Darresa Rodriguez is an urban studies and public administration major.

A total of ten of our students have won this award. Previous recipients are: Patriece Spann '21; Sandra Serrano, Michelle Caines, and Sheila Castillo '20; Kereen Brown '19; Jilian Alvelo '18; Rita Rivera '14; and Christa Meir-Staude '10.

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Alumni Spotlight: Alaudin Ullah

��Ӱҵ CWE — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 14:31:00 -0500

Alaudin Ullah '19 has been pioneering as one of the first South Asians to perform stand-up comedy on national television on networks such as: HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, and PBS. The documentary " Search of Bengali Harlem," which he co-directed with Vivek Bald, had its New York Premiere on Sunday, November 13, at the IFC Center in the Metropolis Competition of DOC NYC.

Storyline: As a teenager in 1980s Harlem, Alaudin Ullah was swept up in the revolutionary energy of early hip-hop. He rejected his working-class Bangladeshi parents and turned his back on everything South Asian and Muslim. Now, as an actor and playwright contending with the Islamophobia of post-9/11 Hollywood, Alaudin wants to tell his parents’ stories.
Running time: 84 minutes

Visit http://bengaliharlem.com/ to learn more about the film and the filmmakers.

Read +

CWE Professor Collaborates with Academy Award Winner

��Ӱҵ CWE — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 20:00:29 -0500

“The Long Wet Grass,” the film adaptation of ��Ӱҵ CWE librarian Seamus Scanlon’s award-winning play of the same title, premieres Oct. 1 at Irish Screen America in Manhattan. It features an original music score by Academy Award winner Marketa Irglova.

“I woke up one night and thought Marketa Irglova would be best person to write the music because she wrote “Falling Slowly” [Academy Award winner] from the film “Once,” said Scanlon, a native of Galway, Ireland. “As a librarian at the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education, I used my skills to track down her agent and soon Marketa was on board.”

Scanlon produced and wrote this cinematic version of a love story set in 1997 during “The Troubles,” as the Northern Ireland conflict was known. Victor, the protagonist, has abducted his childhood sweetheart for a minor transgression, but the pull of their love and history wrestles with the push of the violence that he inhabits.

The short film features lead actors from the stage version, Anna Nugent as Woman, and Paul Nugent as Victor McGowan. Scanlon is a graduate of ��Ӱҵ’s MFA in Creative Writing program.

CWE Blog

New International Collaboration

����Ӱҵ CWE signs a MOU with University American College Skopje (UACS)

Thank you Dr. Sophia Demitriou

Profile:

Student Spotlight: Lucero Saavedra Huerta

2024 Awards & Scholarships Ceremony

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

True Story is First-Rate Drama

The Milton Stern Scholarship Workshop

About the Speakers

Karen Altfest

Awards and Recognition

Lewis Altfest

Awards and Recognition

Shania Grosvenor Memorial

����Ӱҵ: #11 in Social Mobility!

#payitforward911

Faculty Highlight - Campbell Dalglish

Irish Echo Quotes Séamus Scanlon & Danielle Zach on Frederick Douglass' Dublin Visits

Forbes' Top 25!

Top 389 Colleges 2024

2023 Women’s Forum Education Fund Award

Alumni Spotlight: Alaudin Ullah

CWE Professor Collaborates with Academy Award Winner

��Ӱҵ CWE signs a MOU with University American College Skopje (UACS)

��Ӱҵ: #11 in Social Mobility!