CUNY SPS Scholars and Scholarship Donors Celebrated at 11th Annual Scholarship Reception

The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) welcomed community members to the 11th Annual Scholarship Reception on Wednesday, October 23. The evening’s festivities celebrated the talented and hardworking CUNY SPS scholarship recipients and acknowledged the donors’ generosity.

In her opening remarks, Dean Lisa Braverman greeted students, alumni, donors, faculty, and staff as she proudly recapped the successes of her first year as dean of CUNY SPS. She spotlighted the substantial increase in enrollment and recognized the contributions of faculty and staff who helped achieve this milestone.

Dean Braverman then detailed the ways that the scholarships funded by the Foundation Board and contributors of CUNY SPS have made an impact.

“For our students, CUNY SPS has been a lifeline….and because [many of them] are working adults their financial aid options, other than scholarships, are often very limited. This is why the scholarships that we are here tonight to recognize are so critical,” she explained. “We also know from our 10 plus years of offering this assistance that students selected to be recipients of these scholarships thrive from this support. With these awards, our students go on to earn the degrees and certificates that enrich their lives, advance their careers, both personally and professionally, and enable them to impact their workplaces, their industries and their communities.”

Following Dean Braverman, Blake Foote, chair of the CUNY SPS Foundation Board, addressed the audience. During her comments, Foote reflected upon the 13% increase in fundraising last year, thanks to the efforts of the Foundation Board and other generous donors.

Foote explained that this additional funding was a godsend for students at a time of rising costs, one that the Board plans to maintain going forward. “We’re hoping that we can continue with these ambitious goals to help our students face the increasing costs that we're all dealing with,” she shared. “…We know that the difficulties that students face due to these increasing costs is much greater because they have tuition on top of everything else.”

Foote then introduced the first student speaker, Rosanna Arias Gutierrez, a 2024 New York County Health Services Review Organization (NYCHSRO) Medical Coding Scholar. 

Gutierrez, a student in the School’s Medical Coding certificate program, shared the journey that led her to CUNY SPS. Previously working as a home health aide, Arias got interested in medical coding after a cousin encouraged her to explore the field.

Now in her first semester of the program, Gutierrez noted that the scholarship has been a tremendous help. “Becoming one of the first recipients of the NYCHSRO Scholarships at CUNY SPS has left me feeling exceptionally proud,” she said. “I am deeply appreciative for the financial support, which I see as an investment in my dreams and aspirations…I can now confidently promise to approach my studies with dedication and passion.”

Next, Alyssa Garcia, the 2024 Timothy Meade Memorial Scholar, took the stage to express her gratitude for the scholarship that is helping her pursue her a BA in Disability Studies as well as to thank Tracy Meade, former senior associate dean for strategy and innovation at CUNY SPS, for her founding donation.

In her remarks, Garcia also described how the scholarship and the program’s supportive faculty helped her following her own mental health struggle, which led to her previously dropping out of college, and has now enabled her to become a better disability advocate.

“This scholarship helps me move forward in my own journey…to continue advocating for a world where people are valued for who they are, not for their ability to fit into someone else’s idea of normal,” Garcia explained. “One of my goals is to pay this forward one day; to help others in the same way this scholarship is helping me.”

After the scholarship recipients spoke, CUNY SPS’s new Executive Director of Development Andrea M. Brown was introduced to the attendees.

To contribute to CUNY SPS scholarships, please visit the donation page.

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.

Press Contact
Prerna Dar
CUNY SPS Chief Marketing Officer
Prerna.dar@cuny.edu