Queensborough Community College, Highest-Ranked Community College In New York State, Held Its 62nd Graduation Ceremony Today, Friday, June 2
(June 2, 2023-Bayside, N.Y.) Dr. Christine Mangino, President of Queensborough Community College, presided over Queensborough Community College’s 62nd Commencement Ceremony, held under a white tent on the Athletic Field. Nearly 1,600 students are candidates for graduation this spring including nearly 500 graduates from the fall 2022 semester.
The morning ceremony included greetings from dignitaries and elected officials: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer thanked President Mangino and the entire college community for “making Queensborough one of the best community colleges in the U.S.A.!”
Additional Elected Officials who offered greetings were Council Member Linda Lee, Deputy Queens Borough President Ebony Young, Assembly Member David Weprin, State Senator John Liu and CUNY Board of Trustee Lorraine Cortes-Vasquez, recently appointed by Mayor Adams as Commissioner to the Department of the Aging. Queensborough Student Government President Kezia Prince addressed the crowd and laughed as she said, “I can't wait to see where my feet take me!”
Several graduates received awards for academic excellence, exceptional athletic and scholarly achievement, outstanding college and community leadership and for promoting harmony and appreciation of cultural diversity.
The John P. Bevilacqua Athletic Scholarship Award was awarded to Peter Hoffmann.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Award was awarded to Raheem Popley-Carvey.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Award was presented to Hafiz Tariq.
The inaugural Salutatorian is Ho Martin Yuen.
The inaugural Valedictorian is Raheem Popley-Carvey, 25, who commuted about 80 miles a day round-trip from Staten Island to Queensborough Community College. "But this was a good problem to have!" said Popley-Carvey, who knows true hardship as someone who was homeless at 17 and then again at 21 when he was caring for his six-month-old baby boy. He knew the only way out of the shelter was education and when he scouted different community colleges, Queensborough stood out for its engaging website which promoted research opportunities and rigorous science programs. So, he enrolled in August 2021, a month after moving out of the shelter.
At Queensborough, Popley-Carvey conducted cancer research with the NIH-Bridges program and also at Queens College. Support from the counseling center also played a crucial role in his success as well as his discovery of student club associations, three of which he helped jumpstart: The Caribbean Students Coalition, The Science Research Alliance, and the Renaissance Art Recognition Event (R.A.R.E.), to provide creative space for faculty and staff. He was also President of the Environmental Sustainability Club.
Currently, he is working at the Center for Popular Democracy, a non-profit organization where he is a field manager for the national canvas team whose mission is to organize and activate communities across the country in the fight for social, political and economic justice. In the fall, Raheem will transfer to Queens college to study neuroscience.
Upon conferring the degrees, President Mangino closed the commencement ceremony with these words, “Graduates! As I look out at you, I am filled with so much joy. I, like many of you, was a first-generation student. I once sat where you are today as a proud community college graduate, and I will always remember the deep pride I felt crossing the finish line. You too will always remember this day which begins the next chapter of your lives!”
Queensborough is the highest-ranked community college in New York State and is among the best community colleges in the country, according to a 2022 report released by WalletHub.com. It is the fifth year in a row Queensborough has been listed as a top institution of higher education by WalletHub for its education outcomes, career outcomes, and affordability. They, along with equity, access and opportunities, are hallmarks of Queensborough Community College. And they are essential to the upward and inter-generational social mobility of Queensborough’s students.
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Contact:
Alice Doyle
