Westchester Community College Mount Vernon … Community College Mount Vernon ... and on his journey as a writer, artist and poet. ... He remembers that starting his college journey

Westchester Community College Mount Vernon

Spring 2017 Newsletter

SPRING ARRIVES IN MOUNT VERNON

Thank you for reading the Spring 2017 issue of the Mount Vernon Extension Newsletter. This issue features a successful alumnus and

Mount Vernon native, Mark Brown. His story is one of perseverance, hard work, and sharing his success with others. Also featured in

this issue is Lovans Florial, a current student and Mount Vernon native who is an artist, poet, and successful entrepreneur - all while

still attending Westchester Community College.

This issue also includes information about special events this semester at the Mount Vernon Extension Center, including a Meet &

Greet event for the Black & Hispanic Male Initiative, an On Track to Graduate workshop courtesy of Prof. Gelaine Williams, and a

celebration of Black History Month. Finally, don’t forget to read up on events sponsored by the Mount Vernon Activities Club this

spring. Thank you for your readership and enjoy this issue!

HOMETOWN HERO: ALUMNUS MARK BROWN Mark Brown is a successful young professional. He works as a biomedical support specialist at the Bronx Veteran Affairs Medical

Center and is a veteran of the US Marine Corps. He graduated from Westchester Community College with an Associate of Arts in

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the New York Institute of

Technology. He is gainfully employed, accomplished in his field, and engaged in his community. But for Mark, the journey to success

wasn’t easy, and much changed for him along the way.

Mark graduated from Mount Vernon High School, and had dreamed of becoming a writer. With little direction after graduation, he

decided to join the US Marine Corps. Four years later, he knew that higher education was the next step, but didn ’t feel prepared

academically. After being accepted to WCC, Mark sought help with brush-up for the placement exam at the .... (Continued on page 4)

17 S. Fifth Avenue, Mount Vernon ∙ 914—606—7200

[email protected] ∙ sunywcc.edu/mountvernon

Inside this issue:

Alumni Stories: Mark Brown ………………………. 1

Student Spotlight: Lovans Florial ……………………….. 2

Black History Month at Mount Vernon ……………. 2

The Endowed Chair Lecture Series Presents: Aja Monet …..……………... 3

On Track to Graduate Workshop ...................... 3

Black & Hispanic Male Initiative Visits Mount Vernon ……………………... 3

Writing has the power to inspire action, connect people, and create opportunities. Student Lovans Florial’s journey, though not without hardship, illustrates just that. Having grown up in Mount Vernon, Lovans made the decision to attend Westchester Community College, taking most of his classes at the Mount Vernon Extension Center. As an artist and writer with few creative outlets, Lovans struggled academically and lacked a concrete goal for his time in college. As a result, his grades suffered and he grew frustrated. He was a photographer and a writer searching for an artistic community, until one day he was inspired to write a poem called “The Tales of the Lonely Floater”. Bravely, he recited the poem at an open mic event and the crowd loved it. Suddenly, Lovans had become a poet, and was hungry for more opportunities. He soon frequented open mic events, and commissioned an artist to produce a drawing that represented his beloved poem. A friend gifted Lovans a custom T-shirt with the logo of the poem, and people began to ask where they could purchase apparel with the logo. After much research and deliberation, a business was born: The Lonely Floater, LLC. Lovans and his business partner produce apparel designed to inspire creative expression. The business has twice sold out orders and has over 20,000 followers on Instagram. Before he knew it, Lovans was an entrepreneur.

From writer and photographer to poet to entrepreneur – Lovans’ life was suddenly full of inspiration and opportunity. But he still had to complete his degree, having taken off time due to life circumstances. Lovans remembers the impact that his classes had on the mission of the business, sharing one source of inspiration from his African American History professor, Chad Robinson. “He really inspired me as a writer,” Lovans remembers, “because the course material helped me to step outside of myself and see social issues in my community on a larger scale, which influenced my art and products.” As an avid writer and poet, Lovans also credits English Professor Cornelius Collins with supporting his talent. “Professor Collins always took time to ask me about my writing, and gave me suggestions for character settings and plot development. He challenged me to set goals for my work and to use the poem as a basis for my business,” Lovans says.

Lovans is now dedicated to graduating from WCC and to building his business. “Being at WCC with a clear purpose has totally changed my college experience,” says Lovans, and encourages other students to find their inspiration and set goals. Even as an entrepreneur experiencing success, he feels his education is invaluable. “Education is important because it opens doors and provides you with access to information,” he reflects. “Going to school without doing internships, meeting peers, looking for mentors, and making connections is selling yourself short. You will get out what you put into your college experience.”

Be on the look out for The Lonely Floater’s new spring collection to launch at www.lonelyfloater.com. We congratulate Lovans on his success and wish him the best in completing his degree soon, growing his business, and on his journey as a writer, artist and poet.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: LOVANS FLORIAL

WRITER, ENTREPRENEUR, AND MOUNT VERNON BORN AND BRED

Lovans Florial pictured wearing the

signature hat from his brand,

The Lonely Floater

Photo credit: The Lonely Floater

In honor of Black History Month, the Mount Vernon Activities Club (MVAC) collaborated with WCC’s Law Society to host an event titled “Presidential Legacies: the Obamas” at the Mount Vernon Extension Center. Held on President’s Day, the event opened with a guided discussion by Paralegal Curriculum Chair, Professor Rose Gilmore. Students were challenged to consider what made presidents successful or unsuccessful, how current events and media shape public opinion, and how a president’s legacy is determined. Over 40 students attended, including students and faculty from both a Speech Communication and an African American History class. We thank MVAC, the Law Society, and the Black History Month Committee for their collaboration on this important event.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT MOUNT VERNON:

MVAC & LAW SOCIETY CELEBRATE THE OBAMA LEGACY

Officers and advisors from sponsoring clubs MVAC and the Law Society

pose with facilitator Professor Glenetta Phillips as well as Speech

Communication Professor Kevin McGill

BHM Committee Co-Chair Professor Glenetta Phillips guides students

to consider how society should determine a presidential legacy.

POET AND ACTIVIST AJA MONET VISITS MOUNT VERNON

“My hope is that you will leave here

inspired to create,” is what guest Aja

Monet tells a room filled with over 70

faculty, administrators, students, staff,

and community members. Aja Monet

visited the Mount Vernon Extension

Center on April 17th as the guest

lecturer for the Alan & Jacqueline

Stuart Endowed Chair in Development

Studies, hosted annually by Paula

Dornburgh, Director of the Mount

Vernon Academic Support Center

(MVASC).

This year, Ms. Dornburgh invited Aja

Monet, an internationally established

poet, educator and human rights

activist. Of Cuban and Jamaican

descent and raised in Brooklyn, Aja’s

work explores themes of race, gender, injustice, and the human experience.

She spoke at the NAACP’s Barack Obama Inaugural Event and also recited

original poetry at the Women’s March on Washington earlier this year. She has

been featured as a guest lecturer and poet in seven countries, and wherever she

goes, she inspires.

During her visit to the Mount Vernon Extension Center, Aja recited poems

from her new book, My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter, which were complex

and provocative. The audience was moved by Aja’s ability to honor the power

of language through poetry. Professor Dylan Emmons brought his Writing &

Research class to the lecture, and reflects, “Aja’s speech was incredibly

powerful, and through our class discussion after the experience, it was clear

that her poems resonated deeply with my students. These experiences remind

our students that their thoughts and words are powerful.”

Throughout her presentation, Aja encouraged the audience to write and to

create. She urged the audience that writing is a vehicle to explore identity and

build community, and that writing has the power to move a person into action

in a profound way. Aja shared suggestions on how to engage in the writing

process, and encouraged each attendee to honor themselves through that

process. Student attendee Ila Sterling shares, “Aja’s passion was contagious.

Though she is a writer and I am not, I have my own creative pursuits. Her

poems inspired me to pursue my own creative passions. I feel energized after

hearing her!”

We thank Aja for her invigorating visit with us, and extend our gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Stuart for their generous support in making this event possible.

Internationally established

poet, educator and human rights

advocate Aja Monet

Left: Aja Monet poses

with student Margaret

Reid after her speech

ON TRACK TO GRADUATE Sponsored by the Mount Vernon

Academic Support Center

In February, the Mount Vernon Academic Support Center once again hosted an On Track to Graduate workshop. Presented by Professor Gelaine Williams from Career Services, the workshop

helped students to navigate the services available to them in support of their success. Over 30 students attended and learned about how to access

counseling and support services, how to use the degree auditing system DegreeWorks, and where to learn more about scholarships and other opportunities. Students asked many questions and

left the workshop feeling empowered to succeed.

Prof. Gelaine Williams conducts a presentation on

navigating student services and academics at WCC

BLACK & HISPANIC

MALE INITIATIVE Meet & Greet at Mount Vernon with Professor

Donnie Simmons

The Mount Vernon Extension Center was so pleased to welcome Professor Donnie Simmons for a Meet & Greet inviting students to learn about the Black & Hispanic Male Initiative (BHMI) at WCC. BHMI is

an initiative that supports male students of color in achieving a better educational outcome at the college and beyond, and works to increase the graduation and retention rates among participating

students. Prof. Simmons coordinates BHMI, and spent time in the Mount Vernon student lounge on March 28th speaking with many students who were interested in learning more about the benefits of

joining BHMI. Those that spoke with Prof. Simmons left feeling inspired and energized, and Prof. Simmons left with a list of students who are

interested in getting involved. We thank Prof. Simmons for his visit and look forward to engaging more of our current and future students in BHMI.

Prof. Donnie Simmons meets with Rafael Gonzalez, a

student at the Mount Vernon Extension Center who is

interested in joining the Black & Hispanic Male Initiative

17 S. Fifth Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550

(914) - 606 - 7200 ∙ sunywcc.edu/mountvernon

ATTEND OUR OPEN HOUSE!

Speak with experts from Admissions, Financial Aid, WCC Honors, Academic Support, Student Activities and more.

Tuesday, August 8th 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Continued from page 1

… Academic Support Center. “Working with tutors Joe Piraneo and Ron Orlando to prepare for

the math portion of the placement test is undoubtedly one of the reasons I am here today,”

Mark says. “I absolutely wasn’t ready for college-level academics, especially math. But they gave

me the confidence to pass, and I placed into college-level math during my first semester.” He

remembers that starting his college journey at the Mount Vernon Extension Center was the

right decision for his future success. “Mount Vernon was a smaller environment and it was

easier for me to navigate resources. I got to know the staff, tutors, and counselors, and I always

felt guided and supported. I needed that, especially during my first semester.”

Still unsure about what he wanted to study, Mark followed the liberal arts curriculum and was

exposed to many classes. “Literature and composition classes as well as communication classes

prepared me for success both in college and in my career,” he reflects, “but ultimately pointed

me toward the science and technical field. WCC helped me to figure out what I wanted to pursue

as my next step.” Determined to excel in his classes, Mark spent a lot of time in the Mount

Vernon Academic Support Center, where he encouraged other students. Soon, he was hired as a

math tutor, an experience that he still draws on today. As a tutor, he enhanced his

communication and customer service skills, which he uses in his current position. Before long,

Mark graduated from WCC with a 3.9 GPA, and members of the Mount Vernon Extension

Center staff were there at graduation to support him. “Finishing my degree wasn’t easy,” he

says, “but so many people at WCC and the Mount Vernon Extension Center put me on track for

success. Paula Dornburgh, Peter Ogwal, and all the tutors who helped me were huge influences

in my life during my time at WCC and even after graduation.”

Mark’s current position is part of a five-year training program that includes two years of

internship and three years of job experience. His responsibilities include ensuring that medical

devices and equipment are available for technical use and providing guidance to clinical staff on

how to use them. His job also offers professional certifications, of which Mark has pursued

many and plans to continue to do so. Mark got the job as a result of a rigorous application

process, during which, he says, he was continuously supported by Paula Dornburgh, Director of

the MVASC. “She always pushed me to apply for jobs and helped me with my resume, even as

an alumnus,” he says. He also describes how his WCC coursework prepared him for his position.

“In the technical world, you have to have an understanding of math, because math deals with

processes, formulas and problem solving. College Algebra with Trigonometry, Speech

Communication, and Composition & Literature 1 really helped me professionally – I still

remember what I learned in those classes. Even in the technical world, you have to know how to

communicate with others. I might diagnose a problem in a medical device, but if I can’t explain

to the end user how to prevent it from reoccurring, I won’t be effective at my job.”

What’s next for Mark? He plans to obtain two more professional certifications and then return

to school to pursue his Masters degree in computer science or biomedical engineering. True to

his roots, Mark still lives in Mount Vernon and supports others pursuing their education. His advice to other students is to use their

time in college to explore skills and interests, take chances, and develop a backup plan. “College is the foundation for your career and

for your future – you have to take every opportunity that arises. You have to treat college like a job: show up, be engaged, do your

work, and always do your best.” In addition, he says, get a mentor! He notes that this can be the difference between giving up and

excelling when times are rough. We are so proud of all that Mark has accomplished and look forward to celebrating his future

successes.

CONTINUED: ALUMNUS MARK BROWN Register now for

summer & fall!

Multiple sessions available:

Summer Session 1 (5-weeks):

Classes begin May 22

Summer Session 2 (5-weeks):

Classes begin June 26

Fall Semester (15 weeks): Classes begin

September 8 (September 5 on the Main Campus)

Alumnus Mark Brown (right) poses

with MVASC Director Paula

Dornburgh, who he describes as a

lifelong mentor and enormous

influence on his success