Celebrating This Year’s NYCHA-CUNY Scholarship Awardees 

Seventy-nine NYCHA residents enrolled in City University of New York (CUNY) colleges were presented with scholarships at this year’s NYCHA-CUNY Scholarship awards ceremony held at NYCHA’s Central Office in Manhattan on September 29. 

This is the largest number of recipients awarded since the scholarship program was established in 2005. Funding for this year’s scholarships came from Amazon, the Levine Family, Nehemiah Economic Development, Inc., and City Council Members Kamillah Hanks and Gale Brewer.  

The NYCHA-CUNY Scholarships, which help NYCHA residents achieve their higher education goals, are awarded to residents who are enrolled as full-time students in CUNY colleges with a GPA of at least 3.0. The scholarship program is a collaboration between NYCHA and CUNY in partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund. 

Speaking at the ceremony, NYCHA’s Director of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES) Michelle Raymie congratulated the scholarship recipients and acknowledged the generous support from public and private partners.  

“To the funders, your commitment and continued investment in these scholarships have played a pivotal role in supporting the academic achievements of NYCHA residents, and it is deeply appreciated,” said Ms. Raymie.  

She also thanked the Public Housing Community Fund for its dedication to raising funds for the NYCHA community, and CUNY for its dedication to fostering educational opportunities for NYCHA residents.  

“We are always happy and elated to partner with NYCHA,” said Dr. Ian James, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at CUNY. “We have had this partnership for over 20 years, so many students have benefitted from the scholarship and have gone on to do amazing things. Our partnership with REES is a long and fruitful one. We have produced so many amazing scholars who come from various backgrounds. They persevere and do so well in school, and despite the challenges, they go on to graduate, stay in New York, and contribute to the development of New York.” 

“We celebrate the unwavering dedication and ambition of a record 79 NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship awardees,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “Their achievements exemplify the spirit of our community, and these scholarship awards recognize both academic accomplishments and commitment to community. Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment.” 

Kazi Akter, a senior at the City College of New York majoring in interdisciplinary arts and sciences, spoke on behalf of the scholarship recipients. The Pink Houses resident discussed the benefits of attending a CUNY college, noting she does not have to “worry about paying for college” but can instead focus on “important things such as classes and finishing school, which is why I have maintained a GPA of 3.8 throughout my academic career. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals and give back to my community, family, and most importantly, my parents.”   

The NYCHA-CUNY Amazon Scholarship, created with a grant to the Public Housing Community Fund from Amazon, went to 54 of this year’s 79 scholarship awardees.  

“Our continued partnership with CUNY includes greater economic opportunities for NYCHA residents and expanding the local talent pipeline for Amazon, as well as other employers,” said Carley Graham Garcia, Head of Community Affairs for Amazon New York. “We are excited about the record number of scholars this year and want to offer a heartfelt congratulations to all of the scholarship winners!” 

The Levine Family Scholarship, funded by former NYCHA resident and CUNY alum Jeffrey Levine, was awarded to 10 recipients.  

“I am proud to support the NYCHA-CUNY Levine Scholars,” said Jeffrey Levine, Founder and Chairman of The Douglaston Companies. “My experiences as a public housing resident at Linden Houses in East New York, and a CUNY student at the School of Architecture, were both formative. I’d like to extend my congratulations to all scholarship recipients, and I look forward to following along as you embark upon your chosen career paths.”  

Seven scholars received the Kofi Hormeku Scholarship established by Nehemiah Economic Development, Inc., which is awarded to undergraduate CUNY students who are NYCHA residents living in Brownsville, East New York, or Ocean Hill, Brooklyn. 

“It is an honor and an obligation to provide this scholarship,” said L. Hormeku, President of Nehemiah Economic Development, Inc. “We live in an area with a high concentration of NYCHA developments, so we created this scholarship for the benefit of the surrounding community. These are our neighbors, and we have to be accountable for what happens in our neighborhood. We have to make sure everyone in our community has the same opportunities.” 

Scholarships were also issued in honor of two former NYCHA employees. Four scholars received the Regina A. Figueroa Memorial award, established in memory of the late Regina A. Figueroa, a NYCHA resident and staunch advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities who worked in NYCHA’s Department of Communications. Additionally, a scholarship in honor of the late NYCHA REES employee Kisha Jackson – a dedicated champion of NYCHA residents and 20-year veteran of the Authority – went to Ashantee Robinson of Medgar Evers College.  

Council Member Kamillah Hanks of Staten Island’s District 49 sponsored two of the three City Council scholarships. The third City Council scholarship was sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer of Manhattan’s District 6. 

The application for next year’s NYCHA-CUNY Scholarship will open in spring 2024. Stay tuned to this webpage for more information once available. 

Congratulations to the 79 NYCHA-CUNY Scholars of 2023! 

Regina A. Figueroa Memorial Scholars 

Donna Calloway (Baruch College) 

Mccurphy Bailey (Baruch College) 

Serena S. Gangi (Borough of Manhattan Community College) 

Marina Ovanesyan (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Kisha Jackson Memorial Scholar 

Ashantee Robinson (Medgar Evers College) 

NYCHA-CUNY District 6 Scholar 

Nataly Cabral (Borough of Manhattan Community College) 

NYCHA-CUNY District 49 Scholars 

Ashley Villalva (College of Staten Island) 

Yesenia Rivera (College of Staten Island) 

Kofi Hormeku Scholars 

Franceska Perilli (Borough of Manhattan Community College) 

Isabella M. Arguello (Baruch College) 

Jessica Lau (Borough of Manhattan Community College) 

Lonisha Hollis (Medgar Evers College) 

Tanasia A. Price (Kingsborough Community College) 

Yangyang Ou (Baruch College) 

Yudenys Cepeda Grullon (New York College of Technology) 

Levine Family Scholars 

Aminata Kande (The City College of New York) 

Amir Granderson (The City College of New York) 

Andrew Ciprian (The City College of New York) 

Deenika Oladipo (The CIty College of New York) 

Haileny Carvalho (The City College of New York) 

Kazi Akter (The City College of New York) 

Kazi S. Ahmed (The City College of New York) 

Safia Hossain (The City College of New York) 

Sayful Hossain (The City College of New York) 

Yassine Sakhi (The City College of New York) 

Amazon Scholars 

Alcides Negron (School of Professional Studies) 

Amber L. Rodriguez (Hunter College) 

Aminata Cisse (Brooklyn College) 

Andrea Rodriguez (Borough of Manhattan Community College) 

Asia Marie Sierra (Hunter College) 

Beyonn Glanville (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Bianca Belton (Baruch College) 

Brandon Lafontaine (Hunter College) 

Braulio Gonzalez (Queens College) 

Brittney Hernandez (Lehman College) 

Caleb Perez (Hunter College) 

Caroline Palacios (School of Professional Studies) 

Cesar Ayala (Baruch College) 

Christian Vargas (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Christopher Arzu Caballero (Hunter College) 

Claudia Paola Lopez (York College) 

Dayanara Ochoa (LaGuardia Community College) 

Diana Alejandra Moreno Hernandez (LaGuardia Community College) 

Elvira C. Miranda (The City College of New York) 

Emely Berroa (The City College of New York) 

Eternity Murphy (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Fatumata Dibaga (Lehman College) 

Genesis Olivares (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Huraira Ayub (Lehman College) 

Illiana Adames (The City College of New York) 

Isaiah Kemp (Queens College) 

Jaiden Santiago (Hunter College) 

James Jr. Lopez (Lehman College) 

Jasmine Vasquez (Lehman College) 

Jose M. Vasquez (Brooklyn College) 

Kendall Craig Johnson (Baruch College) 

Kevin W. Wander (Hunter College) 

Koemi Pena (Hunter College) 

Kyle L. Govans (Baruch College) 

Kyra V. Garcia (Baruch College) 

Lakshmi Segura (The City College of New York) 

Lassana A. Touray (Lehman College) 

Laura Pimentel (Baruch College) 

Laurence Ma (Brooklyn College) 

Lillybeth Chanez (Lehman College) 

Lissette Altagracia Almonte (Bronx Community College) 

Mario Cacho Mejia (Hostos Community College) 

Matthew Chau (Baruch College) 

Moniya Jade Ware (Hostos Community College) 

Nayrobi Guadalupe Lopez Sarante (Bronx Community College) 

Raymond Saldana (The City College of New York) 

Sayeed Ali (Queens College) 

Shahedul Rahman (Baruch College) 

Shaquasia Ann Williams (Lehman College) 

Sheenese Chambers (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) 

Tina Curtis (Hunter College) 

Yaniris Brioso (Lehman College) 

Yassine Chahid (New York City College of Technology) 

Yolanda Santos (John Jay College of Criminal Justice)