A Message from Mavis Hall

Director, Office of Special Programs

Greetings all.

A resounding round of applause and accolades to

our Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK and CD programs for

achieving the milestone of 50 years. Happy Anni-

versary!

Spring 2016 was an exciting semester as we cele-

brated SEEK's 50th with events at both the Universi-

ty and campus levels. A celebration of the SEEK

legacy of student success in an urban setting includ-

ed a forum with other CUNY student support pro-

grams which have developed after SEEK. Sharing

What Works provided an opportunity to see how

SEEK’s continued successful practices have influ-

enced other programs through the years, impacting

the lives of the many students served.

Witnessing the past meeting the present at the Percy

Ellis Sutton SEEK Awards Celebration was indeed

Inside this Issue

Commemorating 50 Years 2

Sharing What Works Exhibit 3

SEEK’s 50th Anniversary Awards 4

John Jay College SEEK Awards 5

Reaching for the Stars—SLA Pre Conference 6

SLA Conference 7

BMCC Mentors to Friends 8

CSI Student Leadership Awards 2 016 9

CCNY SEEK Class of 2016 Salutatorian 10

Hunter SEEK Student Critical Language 11

Scholarship Recipient

Hunter SEEK Student Awarded 11

Studio in a School Scholarship

City Tech SEEK Student Wins 12

CUNY CLASP Speech Contest

Walking Over Failure 13

Student Spotlights 15

Community Service 17

Summer 2016

A Place to Launch Your Life TM

A S O R

something to behold and participate in. We were

able to honor and give recognition to dedicated in-

dividuals who contributed to the creation and sus-

tainability of SEEK, and to acknowledge SEEK

graduates who have made great achievements.

Having current students assist in the celebration

provided special moments that will not easily be

forgotten.

Within this issue we include these events, and share

some of the campus celebrations, as well as high-

lights of our student and program successes and

achievements.

You are also invited to review our photo albums of

CUNY SEEK and College Discovery events.

Best regards,

Mavis Hall

Commemorating 50 Years

by Cheryl N. Williams,

University Associate Dean of Special

Programs

Since the founding of City College in

1847 as the Free Academy, the City

University of New York has been at

the epicenter of access and innovation. As its name

suggests, the Free Academy served as the entry

point for New York City’s poor who sought to

transform their lives through education. At no point

in its history was that mission more evident than

during the Civil Rights Movement with the creation

of SEEK, the Search for Education, Elevation, and

Knowledge. By targeting academically underpre-

pared students, SEEK engendered a paradigm shift,

changing prevailing ideas about who should be ad-

mitted to college, how they should be taught, and

where responsibility for their learning should lie.

Signed into law on July 5, 1966, SEEK was the

first higher education opportunity program in the

In 1966, the Honorable Percy Ellis Sutton, as a

member of the New York State Assembly, spear-

headed the fight to create the Search for Education,

Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) Program within

the City University of New York. In Sutton’s

words, SEEK was created to serve “the injured of

our society,” students whose academic potential

was not cultivated in the elementary and high

schools they attended in poor neighborhoods across

New York City. To honor his memory, on July 1,

2011, the program Sutton envisioned officially be-

came The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program.

SEEK began as the Pre-baccalaureate Program at

nation. It has been institution-

alized at all eleven CUNY un-

dergraduate campuses as a pro-

gram that continues to trans-

form, not only the lives of pro-

gram students and their fami-

lies, but also how higher edu-

cation is provided. Gone are the days when the

full responsibility for learning rested solely on the

students’ shoulders. Such successful practices as

pre-freshman summer programs, freshman semi-

nars, and learning communities have been widely

adopted to help all freshmen make a smoother

high school-to-college transition. CUNY innova-

tions that began in SEEK have been expanded to

other programs, and new ones have emerged.

With this history in mind, we thank our varied

stakeholders for their support. We congratulate

our past and present students, alumni, and pro-

gram professionals, all of whom have played key

roles in shaping the Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Pro-

gram.

The City College of New York in 1965. The leg-

islation was a result of the efforts of social activ-

ists and progressive politicians whose vision was

to provide access to CUNY for poor students,

then largely African-American and Puerto Rican.

Today there are eleven SEEK Programs across

the University, one program in each of the eight

senior and three comprehensive colleges. The

related College Discovery program provides sim-

ilar access at six of CUNY’s community colleges.

In more than fifty years of existence at the

CUNY, SEEK and College Discovery have en-

rolled approximately 230,000 low-income stu-

dents. Without University access through these

programs, many would not have been able to earn

the college degree which provided entry into pro-

fessions and the middle class. Program students

have been recipients of the Gates Millennium

Scholarship Award, the Woodrow Wilson Fel-

lowship, the Mellon Minority Fellowship, and

other national, state-wide, and local awards.

History

Celebrating 50 Years

Sharing What Works:

Student Success in an Urban Setting

Page 3

The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program continued

its celebratory season of 50th anniversary events

by hosting the Sharing What Works Exhibit: Stu-

dent Success in an Urban Setting. On April 13,

2016 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, this

exhibition showcased more than forty (40) CUNY

student support programs that provide access to

success to many high school graduates who aspire

to achieving a higher education.

These programs from across CUNY presented to

New York City high school guidance counselors,

foundations, afterschool programs, foster care

agencies and other institutions that serve students

ready to make their transitions into college. Hail-

ing from SEEK, College Discovery, CUNY

LEADS, ASAP, CUNY Start, Malave Leadership

Academy, Black Male Initiative (BMI), the exhib-

its’ presenter were able to connect with and learn

from each other.

Members of the United Leaders of CUNY and oth-

er SEEK Program Ambassadors were also able to

share their experiences during the half-day event.

We thank everyone for their contribution to mak-

ing the time spent together a successful sharing of

information.

Page 4

SEEK’s 50th Anniversary

Awards Celebration

On Monday, May 16, 2016 the Percy Ellis Sut-

ton SEEK Program concluded its 50th Anniver-

sary events with an awards night. The celebra-

tion in the Great Hall at the City College of

New York (CCNY) was attended by many indi-

viduals who contributed to the success of the

program over the years, all celebrating the im-

pact it has had on the lives of the many students

it has served.

As the City College Jazz Ensemble set the tone

for the night, the event opened with warm sup-

portive remarks by CUNY Chancellor James B.

Milliken, who stated that SEEK distills the

mandate, that special CUNY promise, for iden-

tifying promising young scholars who might

otherwise not have had the opportunity to flour-

ish.

Tony Award winning singer and CCNY SEEK

Alumna Lillias White served as the celebra-

tion’s co-emcee. Her entertaining rendition of

the South Pacific’s number “The Cockeyed

Optimist” was followed by opening remarks

from co-emcee Cristian Alvarado, City College

SEEK class of 2018.

Award presentations began with City College

President Lisa Coico bestowing the prestigious

Presidential Medal upon District Council 37

Executive Director Henry Garrido, a City Col-

lege SEEK alum. Remarks were also given by

Senior Vice Chancellor for University Relations

Jay Hershenson, a long time champion of sup-

port programs.

Dean Cheryl Williams, accompanied by Vice

Chancellor of Student Affairs Frank Sanchez,

and SEEK City College Director Dr. Maudette

Brownlee, presented the SEEK Program

Awards. Dr. Allen B. Ballard, Professor of

History and Africana Studies at SUNY Albany;

the Honorable David Dinkins, former New York

City Mayor, and Congressman Charles Rangel

were acknowledged for their vision in the crea-

tion of higher education opportunity programs.

Senior Vice Chancellor Jay Hershenson was the

surprise recipient of the Julius Edelstein Award

for his continued support and advocacy of the

SEEK and College Discovery Programs.

Executive Director Henry Garrido and the Hon-

orable Judge Carmen R. Velasquez were award-

ed the Outstanding Alumni Award for their dis-

(Cont’d on Page 10)

Page 5

John Jay’s 50th Anniversary

SEEK Awards

The John Jay College of Criminal Justice SEEK

Program held their campus awards night on May

12th with close to 300 faculty, staff, students with

their families, and special guests celebrating gen-

erations of success. This was one of many cele-

brations throughout the city commemorating this

historic milestone for the opportunity program’s

inception in 1966. Mark Francis, Coordinator of

the Department's Academic Support Center

acknowledged the SEEK founders, including

Representative Percy Ellis Sutton, Representative

Shirley Chisholm, Dr. Albert H. Bowker, Mr. Jul-

ius Edelstein, Honorable David Dinkins, Honora-

ble Basil Peterson, Representative Herman Badil-

lo, Representative Charles Rangel, Anthony Tra-

via and John J. Marchi.

Chair and Director, Dr. Nancy Velazquez-Torres,

began the evening with her heartfelt welcome.

"“This is one of the many occasions we feel ex-

tremely proud of the students we service and the

mission of the Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Depart-

ment. Because of your perseverance and hard

work we can now celebrate your academic ac-

complishments. We are certain this is one of the

many goals you will achieve throughout your life.

We further believe that you will use your many

successes for the well-being of your family, com-

munity and society, thus keeping alive SEEK's

mission of social justice."

In welcome remarks from Provost Jane Bowers

and a video message from President Jeremy

Travis, the college’s leadership acknowledged the

decades of hard work, success and the important

place SEEK holds both at John Jay and within the

broader community.

The SEEK alumni panel served to bring laughter

and tears to the audience, as the presenters shared

stories of their struggles to receive their degrees.

They reminisced about how SEEK’s support car-

ried them into their individual roles, enabling

them to make contributions to the city of New

York and beyond. Coordinated and facilitated by

SEEK counseling faculty Walter Vega, with as-

sistance from Delmar Dualeh, the panel included

NY Assemblyman Marcos Crespo; John Bae,

Program Associate for Vera Institute of Justice;

Patricia Johnson Cox, Professor of Africana

Studies; Elizabeth Marrero, Forensic Investigator

at the City Office of the Chief Medical Examin-

er; and last year's graduate, Kryst Cedeno, Re-

search Assistant at Center of Excellence for Cul-

tural Competence, and Program Coordinator at

John Jay's Center on Terrorism.

Counseling faculty Carmen Solis acknowledged

current and past chairs including Dr. James

Malone, Dr. Rubie Malone, Dr. Edward Hender-

son, Dr. Norma Brady, Dr. Schevaletta Alford,

Dr. Dara Byrne and Dr. Nancy Velazquez-

Torres.

A video entitled “I am SEEK” featured 2016

graduates and was presented by counseling fac-

ulty Christian Luperon and peer mentor Laura

Ramos. (Cont’d on Page 9)

Reaching for the Stars! Student Leadership Academy Pre-Conference 2016

Page 6

The annual Student Leadership Academy Pre-

Conference was held at the CUNY School of Law.

SEEK and CD students nominated by their counse-

lors participated in the Friday, April 15th activities.

These students, who have demonstrated their poten-

tial as leaders, were provided with the opportunity

to participate in a comprehensive program of struc-

tured and informal trainings, and activities, includ-

ing the Student Leadership Academy retreat held in

June.

Promoting leadership development and preparing

academically successful students for on-campus

and community leadership positions is the mission

of the Student Leadership Academy (SLA). Stu-

dents may also actively work with the United Lead-

ers of CUNY (ULC), with some continuing in lead-

ership roles after graduation.

The pre-conference learning experiences help stu-

dents to further develop their leadership abilities, as

well as support the SEEK and College Discovery

Programs which assist many students with succeed-

ing throughout their college careers. This year’s

session centered on unpacking identity. In order to

change the world and become great leaders, stu-

dents must first realize who they are. They must

know the issues that are affecting them and their

community as a whole.

A screening of “The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Pro-

gram: Opening Doors for 50 Years” video provided

the rich history of the program’s 50 years and

shared the story of a successful alum. United Lead-

ers of CUNY (ULC) members and past SLA partic-

ipants served as panel members. They led the dis-

cussion that engaged and enlightened students

about their experiences with SLA. ULC also

shared their community service work, what they are

doing to change not only themselves but the world

around them and beyond.

Dr. Kyoko Toyama, of LaGuardia Community

College introduced a discussion of racial identity

and racism, current topics that are relevant to stu-

dents’ daily lives. Students from the LaGuardia

Community College Theater Group, gave an out-

standing performance of their “Unpacking Ameri-

can Identity: Black Lives Matter” production.

Through song, dance and drama students explored

the topics of racism, police brutality and incarcera-

tion. The theatrical performance created a safe en-

vironment for the students to open up about their

thoughts on the societal struggles that fuel racial

identity and racism. They received copies of Be-

tween the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and

Whistling Vivaldi And Other Clues to How Stereo-

types Affect Us by Claude M. Steele to further ex-

plore these topics.

At the end of the Pre-SLA students went to the top

of the Citigroup building to experience different

perspectives. Encouraged by the Director of Spe-

cial Programs to reach for the stars and to keep

moving forward, students were able to see all five

boroughs of New York City as they proceeded to

look through the windows from all sides of the 50th

floor. The panoramic view showed that when they

change their perspectives they are able to see things

that they may not have seen before, or to see them

differently. This enables students to be better lead-

ers.

Page 7

Student Leadership Academy Conference 2016

The SEEK and College Discovery programs

held their annual Student Leadership Academy

(SLA) Conference at the Villa Roma Confer-

ence Center in Callicoon, NY from Wednesday,

June 15th through Friday, June 17th.

This year’s “Developing Leaders for A Chang-

ing World” conference began with students ex-

periencing the importance of being flexible and

responsive to change. Plans changed when the

reality of various transportation challenges

made adjustments to scheduled activities neces-

sary. Students learned first hand the importance

of figuring things out to achieve the goals set

for the conference.

After an ice breaker bingo activity which ena-

bled students to learn about each other, SLA

alumni and current United Leaders of CUNY

Executive Board members (Damelsa Hatmil,

Nyad Roufai, Shian Denton, Mei Juan Gao and

Guizela Flores) facilitated a leadership work-

shop. Paul Dorestant, Director of the SEEK

Program at City Tech, introduced the project, an

experiential learning team building activity

which served as the foundation of the SLA Con-

ference.

The other sessions over the three days included:

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” fa-

cilitated by Baruch College SEEK Counselor

Betty Duverger; “Soft Skills for Success,” an

etiquette dining, hands-on activity led by John

Jay College Undergrad Advisor, Yvonne Pur-

die; and "From Digital Citizenship to Digital

Leadership” presented by SUNY Stony Brook

University Assistant Professor, Melissa Bes-

saha.

Phil Gordon, Research & Assessment Associate

in the Office of Special Programs, led students

in the leadership art of public narrative, helping

them learn how to use the power of their personal

narrative to inspire action in others. Technolo-

gy was used to skype in long-time SLA support-

er Omari Pearson, Market President, Mid-Atlantic,

Operation HOPE, Inc. He engaged students in the

“The $1,000,000 Dream” exploration. Students

enjoyed giving voice to their dreams, aspirations

and goals.

The conference experience for students who repre-

sented fifteen SEEK/CD programs extended be-

yond the few days spent together away from their

campuses. Bonds across campuses were created.

Students plan to stay connected after the confer-

ence through social activities and the creation of a

Facebook group.

Page 8

BMCC Students Train to be Mentors and Come

Back as Friends

In an effort to improve support services for en-

tering students, BMCC’s College Discovery

(CD) Program was awarded a grant for a project

entitled Peer Mentor Training and Leadership

Development. Second semester freshmen were

selected to participate in a three-day, intensive

training at Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville,

New York. Students and counselors lived in a

dorm-like setting and ate family style meals. No

artificially sweetened beverages, no chips, and

no cell phones! Yes, that's right, there was no

cell phone service in this remote setting in the

Catskills Mountains, a location surrounded by

beautiful landscapes and natural mountain ter-

rains.

Students did not know what to expect from this

experience. They were warmly welcomed to

Frost Valley by very energetic team leaders

who immediately started the team building ac-

tivities. They participated in exercises that re-

quired trust, support and cooperation. They

cheered each other on and bonded through tree

climbing, night hiking and holding discussions

around a campfire. CD students were receptive

to the peer mentor training and leadership de-

velopment. They worked in small groups to

develop creative initiatives to implement for the

fall semester as peer mentors and student lead-

ers. Pictured here is an event where team effort

was crucial to completing the challenge. Day

two was packed with mentor training exercises.

Another photo depicts students preparing their

presentations.

The students came back prepared, energized

and excited to start as peer mentors. More than

20 students participated together with four

counselors (Nelson Izquierdo, Justyna Jagui-

elnicka, Vanessa Rozzelle and Adrian Solo-

mon). Students returned with a new circle of

friends whom they could call upon and work

with. We expect to assign up to 10 mentees to

these students by the fall 2016 semester.

When asked about their experiences, student

Sharibel Montero responded by saying, "When

I got to Frost Valley, I thought the worst of it.

Now, as I reflect back I really think it was a

great experience. I got to meet and bond with

new people. The thing I liked the most was that

I got to experience life outside of NYC. I got to

see what it's like if I was living in a college

dorm.” Jose Rivera stated, "I would say the

most memorable moment of going to Frost Val-

ley is being able to meet a group of new people

who have the same goals as me and forming a

quick bond. This is memorable to me because it

shows me that even though we were strangers,

we quickly formed a unique bond with one an-

other."

Six Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society students

received pin upgrades for earning GPA's ranging

from 3.5 to 4.0., with Claire Tabuteau receiving a

diamond pin upgrade for her GPA of 4.0

The SEEK Service Awards acknowledge those

individuals throughout the college who are inval-

uable to the SEEK department and students. This

year the department unanimously recognized, Dr.

Charles R. Davidson, Director of Pre-Law Insti-

tute/Center for Post-Graduate Opportunities;

Abdoulaye Diallo, Adjunct Faculty/Learning Fa-

cilitator; and Dyncie Valdez, Student Engage-

ment Coordinator.

The evening ended with a tribute to graduates and

honor students as they made their way to the

stage, recognized by Associate Director, Fay Wil-

John Jay’s 50th Anniversary SEEK (Cont’d from Page 5)

Page 9

College of Staten Island’s 2016 Student Leadership Awards

Spirits were high on Thursday, May 12th, when

the College of Statin Island’s SEEK students and

staff attended the 2016 Student Leadership

Awards Ceremony at the Vanderbilt at South

Beach in Staten Island. Organized and sponsored

by the College of Staten Island’s (CSI) Student

Government, with support from the Office of Stu-

dent Life and Vice President Jennifer Borrero

(Student and Enrollment Services), the event was

a fun and festive evening that recognized the

many involved CSI students and committed staff

who serve the college and community throughout

the year.

Awards were given by many campus offices and

programs, including SEEK. Members of the Unit-

ed Leaders of CUNY Damelsa Hatmil (Vice

Chair SEEK Affairs) and Pharlande Saint-Juste

received awards for their leadership.

Dr. Fran Fassman, nominated by her fellow staff

members and students in the SEEK Program, re-

ceived one of the two Outstanding Administrator,

Faculty or Staff awards. This award is presented

each year by Student Government to a member (or

members) of the CSI campus community who has

shown exemplary extracurricular service to the

students.

As SEEK’s full-time Counseling Coordinator, Dr.

Fassman has served on the Student Affairs’ Stu-

dent Engagement Committee and the Advisory

Board of Hillel at CSI. She has also supported the

development of a community garden and the

LGBTQ Center at CSI.

Congratulations to all winners!

liams and Counseling Coordinator, Dr. Monika

Son.

As Director and Chair Velazquez-Torres closed in

her letter to graduates and honorees, "The SEEK

family salutes you!"

Page 10

SEEK Student Named City College Class of 2016 Salutatorian

Orubba Almansouri, a Yemeni immigrant and

SEEK student, presented welcoming remarks as

the 2016 Salutatorian at the City College of New

York’s 170th Commencement Exercises on June

3rd. Present in her audience of dignitaries was

First Lady Michelle Obama, in her final appear-

ance at a college commencement in this role.

An English Honors student, Almansouri, who

majored in both English and history, has an over-

all GPA of 3.97. She will begin her Master’s

in Near Eastern Studies at NYU. Upon com-

pletion, she will attend the University of Mich-

igan’s PhD program. Orubba Almansouri’s nu-

merous accolades include the Colin Powell,

Mellon Mays, CUNY Graduate Pipeline, and

Josh and Judy Weston fellowships.

We are very proud of her and wish her contin-

ued success.

SEEK’s 50th Anniversary

Awards Celebration

tinguished achievement as SEEK alumni from

City College and John Jay respectively. The

Honorable Carl E. Heastie received the SEEK

award for his unwavering commitment to and

support of the New York State Higher Education

Opportunity Programs.

Jeanette Adams’ recitation of Fifty Y ear Tribute

combined with Lilias White’s musical selection

entitled “The Power of One” concluded the even-

ing on a high note for all present.

A special thanks to The City College of New

York, SEEK Ambassadors and the planning

committee for helping to make this special cele-

bration memorable.

(Cont’d from Page 4)

Page 11

SEEK Student Omar Albert, Class of 2017, is one

of five students at Hunter College who was award-

ed the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educa-

tional and Cultural Affairs’ nationally competitive

2016 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS).

The CLS provides the opportunity for talented,

high-achieving students to study abroad for the

Summer season. The Scholarship’s goal is to help

build the ranks of Americans who gain fluency in

key languages, in turn, enabling them to form

bonds with residents of other nations.

A student in the Thomas Hunter Honors and Chi-

nese Flagship programs, Omar Albert is majoring

in both Chinese and economics. He will spend his

CLS summer perfecting his fluency in Mandarin at

the Northeast Normal University in Changchun,

China, and pursue off-campus excursions that in-

crease his knowledge of Chinese history, politics,

culture and daily life.

While Omar’s tentative plans include a master’s in

economics, a career in business consulting and an

MBA, he is constantly grateful for the well-

rounded, interdisciplinary education he is getting at

Hunter. Two of this budding businessman’s favor-

ite courses so far are German Fairy Tales, and San-

skrit Epic and Hindu Thought.

Hunter SEEK Student Critical Language

Scholarship Recipient

A Queens native and

self-supporter since

his parents’ passing,

Albert lives in a

Hunter dorm while

working with the

staff of Undergradu-

ate Student Govern-

ment. Motivated by

a longtime interest

in China, he chose

Hunter for its Chi-

nese Flagship Pro-

gram, as well as its

affordability and broad liberal-arts curriculum. A

recipient of the Leon Cooperman Scholarship,

Omar shows exceptional promise as a future lead-

er in business, and is a participant in Hunter’s

SEEK program, which offers him financial aid,

special advising, and a mutually supportive com-

munity of high-potential, low-income students.

“My SEEK counselor, Sandra Granizo Cruz, my

Chinese professor, Bing Ying Hu, and my pre-

business advisors, Peggy Segal and David

Valazzi, have all played a big part in my life at

Hunter,” Albert says.

Hunter Student Awarded Studio in a School Scholarship

During her senior year at the High School for Arts

and Business, Steffany Cielo’s art exhibition at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) was awarded

a $1000 scholarship enabling the young artist to

continue her studies in the Hunter College SEEK

Program.

Cielo’s piece which combined photography and

graphic design landed her a page in P.S. Art

2015’s catalogue featuring New York City stu-

dents’ artwork featured at a four month long exhi-

bition at the MET. Studio in A School’s sponsor-

ship gave Cielo the opportunity for this scholar-

ship as well as free workshops to further extend

her art studies. (Cont’d on Page 16)

Page 12

City Tech SEEK Student Craig Dwelling Wins

CUNY CLASP Speech Contest

By Daniel Murphy, SEEK Counselor, City Tech

I met SEEK student Craig Dwelling on the

first day of my Introduction to College Life

freshmen seminar course Fall 2015. He made

an unforgettable first impression. Craig asked

questions, lots of great questions. He shared

opinions. And he did what I always encour-

age students in my class to do: he respectful-

ly engaged and interacted with his classmates

in ways that endeared him to them because it

was obvious that he was genuinely interested

in what they thought, felt, and believed.

Craig struck me as confident, intelligent, in-

quisitive, motivated, creative, and immensely

likable. He had a powerful voice and the

warmest of smiles.

Craig also struck me as a few years older

than his fellow classmates, and there was an

unusual depth to him that made me wonder

about his life story and how he came to be

who he is. Before long, I was able to meet

with Craig for individual counseling, where

he told me about his past struggles with de-

pression, the psychological abuse he suffered

at the hands of his own family in Jamaica on

account of his sexual orientation and gender

identity, his winning asylum in this country,

and, as a symbolic representation of a new

start following his asylum case, his decision

to legally change his last name to

“Dwelling.” He told me he was 25 years old

and that it took him seven years to find the

courage to apply to college. We talked about

his remedial needs in English and math, and

he made it clear he would work hard and

wouldn’t let them stand in the way of his

goals and dreams.

The thing I most love about my job is that I get to

be inspired on a regular basis, by students and col-

leagues alike. Through getting to know Craig over

the past year, I have come to see him as inspira-

tion personified. He has overcome immense obsta-

cles in life and become all the stronger for it. To-

day, having completed two full semesters at City

Tech as a Liberal Arts and Sciences major, Craig

has a cumulative grade point average of 3.83. Af-

ter passing his remedial courses last fall, he went

on to earn A’s in college-level English and math.

He is a fixture in our program’s tutoring lab,

where he exhibits an eagerness to ask for and re-

ceive help.

In the Spring 2016 semester, Craig won first place

in the informative speech category at the CUNY

CLASP Speech Contest held at BMCC. The topic

of his speech was overcoming the fear of failure.

Craig has accepted the City Tech SEEK Pro-

gram’s invitation to deliver his speech at our fall

orientation for incoming freshmen in late August

2016.

On the next page, you’ll find a transcript of this

incredible young man’s inspirational speech, I

hope and trust you’ll enjoy it.

Page 13

Walking Over Failure

By Craig Dwelling, SEEK Student, New York City College of Technology

Seven years ago, I

dropped out of high

school. Every year

afterward, I would

visit the CUNY web-

site and tell myself

this would be the year

I would apply to col-

lege, but I didn’t, I

was too afraid of fail-

ing again. A little

more than a year ago, I sat at my office desk

completely crippled – I was overworked and

underpaid. I knew I needed to take the next step

in my life. I came across a quote by the Dalai

Lama: “Take into account that great love and

great achievements involve great risk,” he said.

I realized I needed to face my fear of failure. I

went to the CUNY website and applied to col-

lege. I am so glad I did.

The topic of my speech, “Fear of Failure,” is

deeply important to me. For seven long years,

my fear of failure stopped me from making a

decision that would benefit the richness of my

life. In a survey, 83% of my classmates stated

that the fear of failure also prevented them from

accomplishing their goals. With the help of arti-

cles from the Huffington Post, Psychology To-

day, and self-help blogs, I have created a three-

step approach on how to overcome the fear of

failure by acknowledging it, examining it, and

controlling it.

The first step in overcoming fear of failure is to

acknowledge the fear. Author and lifestyle blog-

ger, Leo Babauta states in his article, “A Guide

to Beating the Fears that are Holding You

Back,” on zebhabits.net, “Many of us have these

fears, but they are at the back of our mind, un-

noticed, unacknowledged, as we try to ignore

them and pretend they’re not there.” Year af-

ter year, I would visit CUNY’s website and I

wouldn’t apply. I would tell myself, “It’s not

a good year, I have all these big plans I want

to achieve,” which was true, but my fear of

failure prevented me from going after those

too. The truth is, I was scared to admit the

real reason, I didn’t even want to say it out

loud. I was afraid I would go to college just to

find out I wasn't good enough for college.

Author Carolyn Gregoire states in her Huff-

ington Post article, “The Science of Conquer-

ing Your Fears — and Living a More Coura-

geous Life,”“it’s difficult to conquer your

fears if you're unable to be honest with your-

self in the first place about what exactly those

fears are.” And a post on Maria Shriver’s blog

titled “The Power of Denial” states, “Denying

what you feel doesn’t make it go away, it en-

sures that it doesn’t get resolved.”

The second step in overcoming fear of failure

is to identify the cause of the fear. The

article “Overcoming Fear of Failure: Facing

Fears and Moving Forward,” on

mindtools.com states: “Fear of failure can be

linked to many causes. For instance, having

critical or unsupportive parents is a cause for

some people. Because they were routinely

undermined or humiliated in childhood, they

carry those negative feelings into adulthood.”

That quote resonated with me because I could

identify such moments in my childhood. I re-

member one summer morning when I was ten

years old, my uncle forced me to compete in a

spelling bee against his daughter who was a

year younger than me. I recall misspelling the

last name “Daley,” and my uncle’s response

was, “Why are you so stupid?” Being called

(Cont’d on Page 14)

Page 14

names such as “stupid,” “dumb,” and

an “idiot” was a frequent occurrence in my

childhood, and it created this constant feeling

of never being good enough or smart enough.

Pop musician Madonna once said, “Power is

being told you are not loved, and not being de-

stroyed by it.” For so many years, negative

events of my childhood rendered me powerless

because I was unaware of how much they truly

still affected me today.

The final step in overcoming fear of failure is

to focus on aspects of the situation you can

control. Psychologist and author Dr. Guy

Winch in his article “10 Signs That You Might

Have Fear of Failure,” on psychologyto-

day.com states, “ Identify aspects of the task or

preparation that are in your control and focus

on those. Brainstorm ways to reframe aspects

of the task that seem out of your control, such

that you regain control of them.” Before ap-

plying to college I feared I would be asked to

read aloud in class, and that I would mispro-

nounce so many words my classmates would

think I was illiterate; I feared because of my

age, if I failed an exam my classmates would

judge my intelligence; and I feared that facing

either of these situations would confirm my

feelings of being inadequate. I realized that

what I could control was the preparation pro-

cess leading up to my first day in college. So I

began reading a book aloud for 30 minutes

during the day; in the evenings after work I

took practice writing and math exams online;

and before bed, I recited positive affirmations

in an effort to replace my feelings of inadequa-

cy. Although this preparation process did not

eliminate my fear of failure, it did make it

more manageable because it made me feel

more prepared for the situation. Ben Franklin

once said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to

fail.” This quote changed my life.

Many people suffer from fear of failure be-

cause we find it scary to face uncertainty. In

order to accomplish our goals, dreams, and the

future we want for ourselves, it’s the exact

thing we must do. For me, with the help of this

step-by-step process, the result was being final-

ly ready to overcome my fear of failure and

enter the college arena. First, I acknowledged

that I was afraid to go to college, because I

feared I wasn’t good and smart enough. Sec-

ond, I identified and examined the root of my

fear, which was an abusive childhood that disa-

bled my belief in my own potential. Lastly, I

focused on aspects of the situation I could con-

trol to better prepare myself, manage my fear,

and increase my chances of success.

I would like to finish with a quote by Marianne

Williamson from her New York Times Best

Seller, A Return to Love. She writes: “Our

deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our

deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond

measure. It is our light, not our darkness that

most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I

to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?”

Walking Over Failure (Cont’d from Page 13)

Page 15

Jason Santiago

Jason Santiago is an intelligent man who has

shown dedication throughout his first semester as

a freshman at Bronx Community College (BCC),

finishing the semester with a 4.0 GPA. Jason has

been placed into the CD Scholars Program for his

dedication. Creating great study habits, he attend-

ed tutoring once a week, spent time in the library

studying, attended Critical Inquiry sessions, partic-

ipated in study groups and plans to continue his

Associates’ Degree in Liberal Arts and Science.

There are currently 379 students in BCC's College

Discovery Program, which offer a pre-college

summer experience, tutoring, counseling services

and financial assistance to help students succeed

and graduate. Of them, only 50 have been singled

out as College Discovery Scholars -and freshman

Jason Santiago is the only one with a perfect 4.0

GPA.

The first in his Bronx family to attend college, Ja-

son does not limit his BCC experience to academ-

ics alone. “I’ve just become an intern at NYPIRG"

From Bronx Community College’s Newsletter:

(the New York Public Interest Research Group). In

that capacity, the 18-year-old is going around cam-

pus giving a "rap” about an issue vital to him and

all his classmates -the cost of a college education.

Jason is enjoying this new challenge because

"Public speaking is something I want to work on.

I'm a shy person and I like to chat. I am able to put

myself out of my comfort zone."

Jason already has goals in place. He plans to get an

associate degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences and

go on to earn a bachelor's in business administra-

tion at Stony Brook University. “I like the idea of

having my own business." He got his inspiration

from working for an uncle's moving company. “I

like to help people, and my uncle provided an in-

come for his workers while providing a service for

the customers. I saw a balance.”

Jason's college career is an inspiration to his

younger brothers and sisters. "I am always telling

them to read as much as possible." Jason's own

reading includes philosophers like Socrates and

Aristotle. "I recently got Plato's Republic' he

says, referring to the Greek classic. “Politics is also

something that I'm into. I'm keeping up with the

presidential race."

"Senator Santiago" ... it does have a ring to it.

Student Spotlights

Page 16

Ashley Castillo, Lehman SEEK Class of 2016

In a reflection, Gina Cestero, her teacher stated:

In my commercial design class, students were charged with creating

magazine covers using the self-portrait as subject matter. Working from

original photos, students used the pen-tool in Adobe Illustrator to create

a vector image that matched their skin tones and likenesses. Steffany’s

magazine cover highlights her playfulness and youthfulness but also pro-

vides a fine example of her inherent passion for the arts. I am inspired by

her enthusiasm and artistic drive. I was drawn to this piece because Stef-

fany used a vectored portrait of herself making a funny face, and it really

highlights her personality and creative flair.

"My first year at Lehman was tough. I was shy and nervous, and my

leadership skills were underdeveloped. I struggled academically and

was eventually put on probation. After reevaluating what it was that I

really wanted, I found that I was attracted to careers in the medical

and health field. I signed up for a biology course, and not only did I

like it but I did well. It taught me that I could do the work. I’m grate-

ful to the SEEK program and the TRIO Pathway program because

they really helped me stay focused. My plan is to go to medical

school and pursue a career in public health. I’m passionate about

eliminating health disparities. This summer I’m going to be doing an

internship at the National Institute of Health, where I will be re-

searching epidemiology and population science."

Ashley Castillo, Class of 2016; SEEK Student; Biology (Minor in

Public Health), B.A.

"“My time here went by very quickly. I’ve done so many things— I

worked at the Wellness Program, created and ran my own workshop,

joined the LC Nutrition Club, completed the Leadership Program,

and I’ve mentored incoming freshmen for the SEEK program. It’s

really worth it to get involved. Whatever you want to do, you can do

it here. From the faculty to the staff, everyone is really supportive.

After graduation I plan to pursue my certification as a Registered

Dietician Nutritionist. Once I have this under my belt, I will apply for

graduate school.”

Michelle Polanco, Class of 2016; Major: Dietetics, Food, and Nutri-

tion, B.S.; SEEK

Michelle Polanco, Lehman SEEK Class of 2016

(Cont’d from Page 11)

Hunter Student Awarded Studio in a School Scholarship

Page 17 Community Service

Over the spring semester, the United Leaders

of CUNY (ULC) launched their Soles4Souls

shoe collection campaign on several campuses.

Established in 2006, Soles4Souls is a not for-

profit organization that is dedicated to the fight

against poverty among underprivileged com-

munities all over the globe. Through the col-

lection and redistribution of lightly worn shoes

and other clothing items a positive difference

can be made in the lives of others. The need

for shoes in certain parts of the globe is crucial

for students to attend schools, with many lack-

ing the adequate access. Soles4Souls has re-

ceived more than 22 million pairs of shoes for

distribution.

The College of Staten Island SEEK Program also

collected donations of shoes and clothes for a great

cause, under the leadership of ULC member Phar-

lande Saint-Juste. Two large bags of clothing and

more than 100 pairs of shoes/sneakers were donated

to the United War Veterans Council. The agency

responded that they were very grateful for the pro-

gram’s participation in the shoe drive and that they

chose the United War Veterans Council to receive

the results of their effort.

We commend CSI for a job well done.

Soles4Souls Campaign

With the assistance of the SEEK programs at City

College, Medgar Evers Colleges, and York Col-

lege, the CUNY Office of Student Affairs and the

youth of First Baptist Church in East Elmhurst,

ULC was able to donate more than 650 pairs of

shoes to the Soles4Souls cause.

We extend our appreciation to all who supported

this community service project.

CSI United War Veterans Council Donation

Page 18

O f f i ce o f Sp ec i a l Pro g ra ms

Ci t y Univers i t y o f New Yo rk

555 Wes t 57 th S t ree t , New Y ork , NY 10019

646 -664 -8700

Cheryl Williams, University Associate Dean

Shirley de Peña, Director, Youth Matter

Mavis Hall, Director

Frances Kingston, Program Associate for Financial Affairs

Philip Gordon, Research & Assessment Associate

Starla Braswell, Program Director, CD Scholars

Akilah Bryan, Administrative Assistant

Ramon Garcia, Program Assistant

Morgan Kollarus, Social Media/Communications Assistant

Arlenis Perez, Program Assistant, Youth Matter

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Please send articles for our upcoming SOAR issues to

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