Monroe College

2501 Jerome Ave.

Bronx, New York 10468

718.933.6700

Visit us on the Web at:

www.monroecollege.edu

1.800.556.6676

©2015 Monroe College

Monroe College

434 Main St.

New Rochelle, New York 10801

914.632.5400

Sports Management Programs Approved

Monroe College has announced the launch of associate (A.A.S.) and bachelor’s (B.B.A.) degree programs in Sports Management, beginning Fall 2016, to meet a growing demand for qualified professionals in the business side of professional and amateur

sports, including in sports marketing, sports information, and managing sports organizations and governing authorities. Between 2010 and 2014, positions relating to promoting performing arts, sports, and similar events grew by 30 percent and positions relating to representing artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures as agents and managers grew by 17 percent.

The college anticipates strong demand for the new Sports Management degree programs, including from the 600 student-athletes already on campus. Monroe College introduced a concentration in Sports Management in the fall of 2012; within a year, it was the fastest-growing minor offered.

“Sports Management is a vibrant and growing industry, with myriad business career opportunities in areas such as professional sports, amateur sports, youth sports, recreation facilities and athletic administration,” said Ahmed Eshra, Dean of Monroe’s School of Business and Accounting. “The launch of these associate and bachelor degree programs is a strong and welcome addition to our existing Associate in Business Administration and Bachelor’s in Business Management programs.”

Students in the Sports Management programs will learn the fundamentals of how professional clubs oversee their business, the components of event management, finance and budget strategies, marketing, and how to initiate promotional campaigns. Students will also explore issues in media sports coverage and principles of ethics and law in business.

Additional information about Monroe College’s Sports Management programs and its School of Business and Accounting are available on the college’s website, www.monroecollege.edu. Admissions and financial aid information is also available. n

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Jumpstart Team Leader Stephany Colon Featured at NYC Gala

On Thursday, April 14th, Stephany Colon, a Human Services major and second-year Team Leader at AmeriCorps Jumpstart was featured at the 11th annual

Scribbles to Novels gala at Chelsea Piers, Jumpstart’s largest New York City fundraiser. Over 420 guests, including photographer and author Nigel Barker and actress Bridget Moynahan, attended the event, which raised over 1.1 million dollars to support programming at Monroe College and 19 other colleges in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Stephany was chosen from hundreds of members serving in New York. Liz Trout, Jumpstart’s Associate Director of Development, said, “Every time Stephany speaks, we are reenergized by her compassion and commitment to the local children she serves. Those fortunate enough to hear Stephany tell her story know how truly invested she is in helping children succeed. Her words will represent Jumpstart for years to come.”

A few weeks ago, Stephany and her five teammates were filmed holding their typical Jumpstart session, where they read, sang songs, and played educational games with the 10 preschool children in their South Bronx classroom. Afterwards, Stephany was interviewed about growing up in the South Bronx, her Jumpstart experience and her hopes for the herself and the children’s futures. The video, introduced by best-selling author Corban Addison, earned Stephany a standing ovation.

“Being featured at Scribbles to Novels was incredible,” Stephany said. “As I watched my video, I couldn’t help but cry. I was so overjoyed and proud to see my team, my classroom and my children on the big screen for everyone to see. As I looked into the audience, the only thing on my mind was my mom and how proud she is of me. I have come so far, and giving back to these children is proof that great things happen to those less fortunate.”

To see the full video and hear Stephany’s story, visit the Jumpstart Kids YouTube page. To join the 2016-2017 Corps, apply online at jstart.org/apply. n

Alumni of the Month Gean Martinez BBA ‘04 Computer Information Systems

Upon graduating from Monroe College in December 2004, Gean Martinez worked for

10 years as a Software Developer. In 2014, he began working as a technical architect for Silverline, a Salesforce Platinum Cloud Alliance Partner. They focus exclusively on the end-to-end implementation of salesforce.com products and powerful third party apps. In his role as a technical architect, Gean innovates and delivers Salesforce platform solutions that solve complex business and technology challenges.

Gean is forthcoming about his ambition and is grateful to Monroe College for helping him become more professional. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, having earned an impressive 3.91 G.P.A. As a student leader, Gean achieved academic excellence and earned President’s List Honors every semester while enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree Program. Gean says the excellent teaching and resources available at Monroe contributed immensely to his technical skills, and he also enhanced his communication and analytical ability. He plans to continue working hard to bring greater value to his corporate efforts.

Gean says, “The caliber of talent that Monroe has on its staff is something that I appreciate. Throughout my studies, my professors always ensured I had the tools and resources that I needed to succeed.”

Congratulations Gean on your continued success. We wish you the best! n

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Monroe Hosts the Seventh Annual “Male Empowerment”

Monroe College held its 7th annual “Male Empowerment Event” for minority high school students with renowned education innovator and visionary Dr. Steve Perry delivering the keynote address.

Approximately 300 young men from local high schools attended the event to build their self-confidence and, by doing so, combat a deep-rooted problem within our higher education system – the weak enrollment and even weaker program completion rates. This year’s theme is “Tying into Manhood,” which reflects the transition these high school juniors and seniors are experiencing as they exit young adulthood and face important education, career, and lifestyle decisions.

The Male Empowerment Event began with the presentation of a blue and gold tie to each student, symbolizing a commitment to the future success and leadership possibilities attainable for students. The tie ceremony was followed by a keynote address delivered by Dr. Steve Perry, the founder and principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Perry is returning to deliver the keynote address after his speech was met with a standing ovation at the previous year’s event.

A key component of the day’s activities was the small group mentoring provided by more than 40 accomplished male role models – including Monroe College faculty and staff and judges, lawyers, doctors, members of law enforcement, bankers, and entrepreneurs. These mentors spoke with students about the personal obstacles and challenges they faced in their career and personal lives, and the decisions they made to overcome them.

“Our annual Male Empowerment Event grew out of a concerted effort within Monroe to find innovative ways to counter national statistics on low college enrollment and degree completion rates for young men of color, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Dr. Cecil Wright, Ed. D., Dean of Admissions at Monroe College and director of its student empowerment programs. “We take great pride in the positive impact the event has had on setting attendees on the path to becoming confident, motivated, well-educated men.” n

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The Culinary Institute of New York Rolls on at the ACF Culinary Classic

The 2016 Northeast Regional Champions apprentice team members had their moment to

shine, and shine they did! Led by Food and Finance High School C-cap student, Vanessa Munoz, who earned a silver medal for her Trio of Cornish Hen entrée, the team won five silver medals overall, taking five of the top six slots at the ACF culinary classic hosted by Schenectady County Community College. Food and Finance High School was also represented by Alissa Merino and Victoria Helwig, both earning silver medals for dishes featuring striped bass. Port Richmond High School C-cap alumnus, Emily Caraballo, impressed the judges with a complex entrée featuring Maple Leaf Farms duckling and Passaic County Tech alumnus, Sydney Rubinos earned a silver medal for a dessert featuring a traditional almond cake from Siena, Italy.

The Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College has earned 50 ACF medals this competition season, winning the second consecutive New York State championship and an historic victory at the Northeast Regionals in Lancaster, PA, where the team won its first regional championship in the culinary program’s eight year competition history. The team has garnered national attention, earning close to 650 competition medals in ACF competitions during that time, including individual gold at last year’s Student Chef of the Year national championship in Orlando, FL. n

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Financing Options Workshop

On Tuesday, April 19th, the Alumni Office had the pleasure of partnering with

the SCORE Program of Westchester to present the “Different Financing Options for Different Stages” workshop.

SCORE is a national non-profit association that provides advisory and small business mentoring services for people looking to start or grow a small business.

The presenter, Glenn Shell, a retired bank executive and former SCORE Westchester Chairman, taught those in attendance about financing terms and their definitions. He spoke about angel investors, venture capitalists, the different financing options available for startups and businesses at different stages, and the different programs of the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC).

Following the formal part of the meeting there was an opportunity for participants to network. n

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Aquinas College Students Tour Monroe College in New York

Student Ambassadors

The Student Ambassadors team of five volunteers works closely with Admissions to provide campus tours to prospective students

and their families. In addition to sharing information about our programs of study, support services, and life on campus, they speak with our guests about their personal experiences and answer any questions they may have about Monroe. n

HonorsFrom May 31 to April 3, 11 students from the Monroe College Honors Program attended the

Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference in Cambridge, MA. The students made seven presentations, ranging around the conference’s theme of “Migrations.” Two of the students,

Nathalie Waldschmidt and Keyla Zapata, served as Student Representatives to the NRHC Board and assisted in planning and executing the student events throughout the conference.

The conference was very successful, and now our Honors Program is looking toward the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference to be held in October 2016 in Seattle, WA. Three student presentations have been accepted by the conference, and two institutional presentations have been accepted. More to come on this exciting event! n

In late March, approximately 50 students from Aquinas College on Gladstone Road in Nassau, Bahamas

traveled to New York for a tour of Monroe College. This event is a metaphor for how food and other resources are inequitably distributed in the world. Some students reported feeling sympathy for the students sitting on the floor, while they sat at tables. Overall, the event was successful in bringing awareness to the students, the greater hope being that events like this will ignite passion and action in our students.

While the official business of the day was to visit the campus and speak with college faculty and staff about the robust educational opportunities, academic resources, and personal support available to them at Monroe, it quickly turned into a family reunion for one member of the visiting group.

Among the first faces that Daniel Rolle of Nassau saw upon arriving on campus was his sister Philippa, who is working toward

her bachelor’s degree in the Hospitality Management program. It was a very happy, tearful moment for everyone, including Monroe staff, as the two overjoyed siblings embraced and caught up.

Escorted by Guidance Counselor Mrs. June Hutcheson, International Educational Consultant Ms. Erica Hepburn, and Grades 7 & 8 Coordinator Ms. Shannals Johnson, the 50 students learned about Monroe’s many undergraduate and graduate degree programs, its strong support services for international students, and even toured one of Monroe’s dormitories to get a glimpse of residential life on campus. After a lunch at the College’s new student café, the students experienced some of the sights and sounds of New York City’s Times Square.

More than 400 students from the Caribbean currently study at Monroe’s campus in New Rochelle, including 25 from the Bahamas.

Monroe College partnered with the Bahamian Ministry of Education last year

to develop a $1.1 million scholarship program to expand college access to local public high school graduates. The first 13 deserving scholarship recipients from the island nation began their studies at Monroe last September. The Monroe College merit scholarship program is a four-year commitment providing for each of the recipients to pursue their undergraduate studies at the college’s campus in New Rochelle, NY. n

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Monroe Hosts the Fourth Annual “Female Empowerment”

Stirring an audience of roughly 350 young women, Monroe College hosted its 4th annual female empowerment event, intended to boost confidence, challenge female stereotypes

and inspire young women.

The crowd, exclusively young women, packed Mintz Auditorium to hear motivational stories from other women who climbed the corporate ladder and attained a measure of success and served as a seed for their own self-empowerment. They also heard from Fox 5 anchor and radio personality Lisa Evers, who delivered the keynote speech.

“The idea is to tell a story, share your story with other young people so they could know that even though they’re going through a tough situation there is hope,” said Dr. Cecil Wright, Monroe’s dean of admissions, who conceived the idea three years after organizing a men’s empowerment workshop that continues today.

For the Bronx, confidence building workshops seem to fill a mentorship gap for young people. A report shows there are 233,880, or 64 percent, of Bronx homes with only one parent, making mentoring a critical part to an adolescent’s upbringing.

“Girls get lost whether it be over boys, family issues, school issues, so they kind of always need a mentor,” said Lindsay Rosen, assistant dean of admissions. “We want girls to actually express themselves and be themselves,” said Rosen. “And be you.”

This is very important for teenagers to see that there are people out here that do wonderful things and have great educations. Next month, mentors from the workshop will host their students for a luncheon.

“We’ve had mentors who’ve come back to mentor who attended these events years ago,” said Wright. “So it’s a pay forward.” n

Nursing Students Travel to Haiti to Provide Medical Care

Monroe College alumni and faculty from its School of Nursing are traveling to Fonfrede, Haiti to provide medical assistance and health education to the under

served community.

This is the second year that the School of Nursing has participated in a medical mission in Haiti. Monroe’s nursing program, which aims to make graduates aware of the cultural differences in caring for diverse communities, gives its nursing graduates a unique opportunity to engage in clinical experiences outside of the United States. It is partnered on this initiative with CapraCare, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop sustainable community health programs for children and their families in Fonfrede.

The Monroe nursing team will work at the CapraCarehealth clinic and make home visits in the community to provide physical assessments, wound care, and perform procedures such as blood pressure, weight and height checks, diabetes and vision screenings, and oral care. They have also prepared presentations translated into Creole, Haiti’s native language, to help teach individuals in the local community about important health issues, such as breast self-examination, STDs and nutrition, in addition to proper hygiene and HIV/AIDS prevention.

“Our nursing program provides students and graduates with a variety of real-world clinical experiences that are integral to their development, education, and understanding of the nursing profession,” said Deborah Little, Dean of Monroe’s School of Nursing.

Dean Little, Professor Laura Penalo, and Jean Pierre-Louis MPH, Founder &CEO of CapraCare will accompany the graduates on this mission to Haiti.

Monroe College’s School of Nursing is recognized for its commitment to innovative and engaging instruction. Taught by a faculty of experienced nursing professionals, students learn with a hands-on approach to nurture caring, compassion, clinical competency, critical thinking skills and leadership skills. n