On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, LaGuardia Community College/CUNY celebrated the more than 2,000 members of LaGuardia’s Class of 2023, the college’s 51st graduating class, at a Commencement Ceremony held on the lawn of Queens College. The graduates were honored by more than 10,000 guests, which included graduates’ family members and friends, CUNY leadership, elected officials, community members, college supporters, and LaGuardia administration, faculty, staff, and alumni.
New York State Assemblymember Patricia Fahy was scheduled to be the keynote speaker; however, was unable to attend as the State Assembly was called to session. Instead, she provided a video message for the graduates, where she said, “I want you to know how proud I am of you. And I am you. I was once in your shoes, as a community college graduate…. As somebody who was a first-generation American, whose parents never even got a chance to go to high school. So, I stand before you as somebody who understands what many of you have been through and the struggles that it has taken.”
LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams welcomed graduates and attendees, saying, “LaGuardia students excel at time management, because so many juggle work and school and family obligations. Many worked your way through school. And many of you are parents or help take care of family members at home. Many of you are the first in your family to go to college and graduate.”
CUNY Trustee Mayra Linares-Garcia acknowledged the tradeoffs made by the graduates while working towards their degrees, saying, “Only you know the sacrifices you made to get here… LaGuardia gave you the foundation for your success. LaGuardia gave you the tools you need to break down any barriers and to be able to face those challenges that are coming to you. Because as you look to the future, know that the knowledge and experience you gained during your time at LaGuardia will serve you throughout your lives. When you’re big successes, you can say, I started my journey at LaGuardia.”
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joked about using ChatGPT to create a speech for today’s commencement (but deciding against it) and spoke to the graduates about the hard work they did to earn their degrees, particularly in light of trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which for many, led to personal growth that cannot be achieved through artificial intelligence.
New York City Council Member Julie Won related her personal story to the graduates, and the importance of degrees to their families, saying, “As a product of public education myself and as an immigrant who worked through college as the first generation to graduate in my family, it is an honor to stand here with you today. You are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. You did it.”
Two members of the Class of 2023, Gian Castro and Min Young Kim—both immigrants and the first in their families to earn a college degree—addressed their fellow graduates at commencement.
“One of the most valuable things that I learned at LaGuardia is to maintain persistence, to keep dreaming big and not being afraid to fail,” said Gian, 27, from Peru, who earned his associate degree in Criminal Justice. “When I started my journey, I only wanted to finish my associate’s to become a police officer but thanks to having amazing criminal justice professors, now I have many new goals for the future like transferring to John Jay next and starting the BS/MA program that will allow me to get my bachelor and masters in three years to reach my new final goal of becoming an FBI agent.”
This summer, Gian will enter the Police Academy. He plans to continue his studies while serving the NYPD, which provides tuition support for officers pursuing higher education. Like Gian, Min Young credits LaGuardia with expanding her view of her capabilities and opportunities available to her.
“LaGuardia helped me realize my potential and visualize a future that I didn’t know existed to me… After I left high school at age 16, I took almost a decade searching for the right education for me,” said Min Young, 26, from Seoul, South Korea, who earned her associate degree in Liberal Arts: Applied Math. This fall, Min Young will transfer to Columbia University to pursue a bachelor’s in computer science. She was one of 60 community college students selected from more than 1,700 students from 450 community colleges nationwide for the 2023 Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which will provide her with significant financial support to complete her undergraduate studies. Min Young plans to earn a Ph.D. and develop a career teaching STEM to disadvantaged populations.
Read more about Red Hawks Rising, named for LaGuardia’s mascot.
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