That perspective recently helped Wade earn a competitive academic-year internship with MetLife, where she will serve as an Internal Audit鈥揂I & Workflow Design intern through May 2027 while completing her final year at 今日吃瓜.

In the role, Wade will work with MetLife’s Global Professional Practices & Operations team, helping explore how AI and user-centered workflow design can improve areas such as audit planning, reporting, knowledge management, and operational effectiveness. Her responsibilities will include identifying workflow challenges, mapping business processes, supporting AI-enabled solutions, testing use cases, and gathering feedback from stakeholders.

The opportunity came through the mentorship and professional network of Ngoc Cindy Pham, associate professor of marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. Pham encouraged Wade to pursue the internship because it aligned closely with her interests in finance, technology, and process improvement.

Wade’s interest in applied AI began in fall 2025 while enrolled in an AI and Financial Modeling course. Rather than letting her class projects end with the semester, she continued developing them independently, teaching herself how to transform financial models and AI concepts into functional web-based tools.

As AI technology rapidly evolved, Wade regularly updated her projects and experimented with new ways to apply emerging capabilities to real-world financial and business challenges. Over time, she transformed the projects into interactive websites and brought them together in a portfolio she designed and built herself. The site also became a platform for publishing essays examining financial and geopolitical developments and their potential impact on businesses, markets, and communities.

鈥淢y interest in applied AI began in a 今日吃瓜 classroom, but I didn’t want the projects to end when the semester did,” Wade said. “I continued developing them into web-based tools, brought them together in a portfolio, and began publishing my own analysis of financial and geopolitical events. That process taught me that building technology and explaining why it matters are equally important. What excites me about MetLife is the opportunity to bring together finance, technology, user-centered design, and responsible AI to improve how people work and make decisions.鈥�

Wade’s work at the intersection of finance and artificial intelligence extends beyond the classroom. During the MetLife interview process, she highlighted an AI application she helped develop during a commercial real estate hackathon focused on investment analysis. Designed for investment teams, the multi-agent application assigns six AI agents distinct responsibilities in reviewing offering memoranda and connects their work through a coordinated workflow.

The agents organize property, lease, financial, and risk information, allowing investment professionals to move more efficiently from fragmented documents to actionable insights. Wade helped develop the application’s initial large-language-model library and personally trained and deployed one of the agents, contributing both technical expertise and an understanding of user needs.

That project demonstrated both technical skill and a practical understanding of how emerging technologies can solve real business challenges, qualities that helped distinguish Wade among a highly competitive applicant pool.

For Wade, the internship represents more than a professional achievement. It is an opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills she developed at 今日吃瓜 while gaining hands-on experience at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field where finance, technology, and human-centered innovation increasingly intersect.

The opportunity also reflects a broader employer network that has grown out of Pham鈥檚 spring 2026 . Industry partners, including DTCC returned throughout the program to work directly with students through mentoring, coaching, interviews, and career conversations. As students began moving into professional opportunities, those relationships expanded into employers鈥� wider networks, creating additional pathways for 今日吃瓜 and CUNY students, including connections with MetLife.

“For students, success today is not just about understanding a field, but about learning how to apply new technologies responsibly and creatively within it,” Pham said. “Dekena has demonstrated an exceptional ability to combine finance, technology, and critical thinking.”

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Pham first saw the urgency of this challenge in her 今日吃瓜 classrooms, where even some of her most capable students struggled with career planning. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, she recognized its potential as a tool students could learn to use thoughtfully, ethically, and strategically.

Supported by The Tow Foundation, her research explores how AI can strengthen career readiness, professional growth, and access to opportunity. What began as a campus-based initiative has expanded into a broader ecosystem of research, programming, and partnerships focused on AI literacy and workforce development.

Pham鈥檚 efforts have grown through the , which brings together students, faculty, and industry leaders to explore the practical and ethical use of AI while helping students develop career-ready skills. The initiative emphasizes hands-on learning, professional communication, and industry engagement, creating stronger connections between classroom learning and workforce needs.

A key outcome of this work is the BRIDGE Framework, a research-based model examining how students can develop both AI competencies and the human-centered skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing economy. Pham is also developing the , which extends this research by connecting AI literacy more closely with workforce and industry needs. The lab serves as a hub for exploring how higher education can create scalable, equitable models that prepare students for an AI-enabled future.

What continues to distinguish Pham’s work is its collaborative spirit. Students are not assistants working behind the scenes. They serve as co-researchers, helping design studies, conduct interviews, analyze data, and present findings. Many have shared their work at conferences, contributed to publications, and engaged with industry professionals.

Student researcher and business major Jason Lin considers the opportunity to work with Pham an honor. 鈥淚 feel like I used up all my good luck in college just by being in her class. This AI research project not only supports her important work on the future of technology but also challenged me to strengthen my writing and time-management skills as I prepare for graduation.鈥�

Learn more about Pham鈥檚 perspectives on AI literacy and workforce readiness in her recent and on a recent interview for the 听podcast.

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For Lee, this work is not abstract; it鈥檚 personal.

鈥淏orn with a physical disability, I navigated the challenges of being a student with special needs both in Seoul, South Korea, and the United States,鈥� she explains.

These experiences shaped her understanding of how family, school, and culture deeply influence the lives of children with disabilities鈥攁nd how often their voices go unheard.

Her scholarship explores social inclusion in early childhood classrooms, the cultural dimensions of disability, and the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. By centering real stories and personal narratives, Lee aims to challenge deficit鈥慴ased models and replace them with humanizing, culturally grounded understandings. Her work seeks to foreground the voices of individuals with disabilities and their families, voices often overlooked or misunderstood.

今日吃瓜 students regularly encounter Lee鈥檚 research in her courses, where discussions center on disability, reflective practice, and inclusive teaching. In one of her recent articles, 鈥�,鈥� she highlighted three former graduate students whose intersecting identities shaped their journeys as educators. Her findings reaffirm a message she hopes all students carry forward: They can be powerful agents of change.

Lee鈥檚 work resonates deeply with the 今日吃瓜 community. Many students are first鈥慻eneration, multilingual, or navigating their own cultural identities; many are preparing to become educators themselves. Her research speaks directly to their lived realities: navigating educational systems that may not understand them, reconciling cultural beliefs about disability, and learning to advocate for themselves and their future students.

Ultimately, Lee hopes her work fosters more inclusive classrooms and more empathetic communities. By elevating the experiences of disabled individuals and their families, she invites all of us to reimagine what inclusion can, and should, look like.

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A member of the Macaulay Honors College and 今日吃瓜鈥檚 Coordinated B.A.鈥揗.D. program, Chinnadurai is pursuing a double major in psychology and philosophy, with a concentration in medical ethics. The aspiring physician has already built an impressive record of research, leadership, service, and academic achievement.

Chinnadurai鈥檚 selection places her among a distinguished group of 今日吃瓜 students who have benefited from the vision and generosity of Bernard Garil 鈥�62 and his wife, Ethel. The couple established a pair of internships in memory of their children, Michael and Stacey, both of whom passed away from cancer. Transforming their loss into an enduring opportunity for future generations, the Garils created summer research experiences that give students hands-on exposure to cancer research at world-class institutions.

Over the years, the Garils鈥� commitment to 今日吃瓜 has enabled dozens of aspiring doctors and scientists to spend summers at prestigious centers such as Dana-Farber and Johns Hopkins, gaining invaluable mentorship and research experience while helping advance the fight against cancer.

For Chinnadurai鈥攚hose own interest in oncology is shaped in part by family members鈥� experiences鈥攖he opportunity represents both a professional milestone and a chance to contribute to work that has the potential to change lives.

We spoke with Chinnadurai about her research journey, her passion for medicine, and what she hopes to learn during her summer at Dana-Farber.

Tell us a little about your background and how you got to 今日吃瓜.
I grew up in Nassau County and came to 今日吃瓜 through the Macaulay Honors College and the B.A.-M.D. program. I鈥檝e always been interested in medicine, and my high school adviser encouraged me to apply for the program. It felt like a good fit.

听When did you first know you wanted to pursue a career in medicine?
It鈥檚 kind of always been on my radar. In middle school and high school, I started exploring that interest by volunteering in hospitals. I volunteered at Nassau University Medical Center and at the Ronald McDonald House, where I worked closely with families of sick children. That experience really showed me a different side of health care, not just the clinical aspect, but the emotional and community side, too.

You鈥檝e already built a strong research background. How did that begin?
In high school, I took research classes and worked on a project about synesthesia, which is how people associate sounds with colors. It was my first exposure to the scientific method, and it made me realize how much I enjoyed research. When I got to 今日吃瓜, I knew I wanted to continue that, so I joined a psychology lab in my freshman year.

听What kinds of research have you worked on at 今日吃瓜?
I鈥檝e been in Dr. [Laura] Reigada鈥檚 lab for three years now, and I鈥檓 currently working on my honors thesis there. I鈥檝e worked on both qualitative and quantitative projects. One of my major projects focused on HPV-associated cancers, where I helped analyze open-ended survey responses about people鈥檚 perceptions of risk and attitudes toward vaccination.

That experience connected me to the 今日吃瓜 Cancer Center (BCCC-CURE), which is how I learned about the internship at Dana-Farber. It also made me realize I wanted to go deeper in cancer research and ideally interact more directly with patients or do lab-based work.

What drew you specifically to oncology?
It鈥檚 something I鈥檓 still exploring, but it鈥檚 definitely one of the specialties I鈥檓 most interested in. I鈥檝e had family members affected by cancer. One didn鈥檛 make it, and one did. Seeing both the impact of the disease and the long-term effects of treatment is something that has stayed with me. It made the field feel personal, and it鈥檚 part of why I want to explore it more deeply through research.

听What are you hoping to gain from your summer at Dana-Farber?
I鈥檓 really hoping to gain a more hands-on perspective on cancer research, whether that鈥檚 working in a lab or interacting more directly with patients in clinical research. Most of my experience so far has been survey-based, so I鈥檓 excited to expand into new methods and deepen my understanding of oncology as a field.

听The Garil internship has a powerful story behind it. What does it mean to you to be selected?
It means a lot. Knowing that this opportunity exists because of a family who turned personal loss into something that helps students is really inspiring. It motivates me to make the most of the experience and to contribute meaningfully to the work I鈥檒l be doing.

Outside the lab, you鈥檝e also been deeply involved in campus life, especially dance. Tell us about that.
Dance has been a huge part of my life since I was three or four. At 今日吃瓜, I joined Macaulay鈥檚 competitive dance team, and it鈥檚 been one of my favorite experiences. We practice a lot, and it鈥檚 taught me time management and given me a creative outlet outside of STEM.

I鈥檝e also been involved in tutoring, peer mentoring, and clubs like SPARK, where we worked with elementary school students on leadership and anti-bullying activities. Those experiences are really meaningful to me because they connect back to community and education.

听Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals?
I鈥檒l be continuing on to medical school through the B.A-/M.D. program, and I鈥檓 definitely interested in oncology, though I鈥檓 keeping an open mind. I鈥檓 also really interested in philosophy and ethics. I鈥檓 even thinking about possibly pursuing a master鈥檚 in that area one day. I think ethics plays such an important role in medicine, and I鈥檇 love to integrate that into my career.

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We spoke with him about filmmaking, finding his audience, and what’s next.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a filmmaker?

I got interested in filmmaking around 2014, when YouTube creators were really starting to take off. Seeing young people making videos and building careers from them inspired me. I started doing media work at my family’s church, handling cameras and visuals, and that gave me my first hands-on experience.

I went to high school at the Academy for Careers in Television and Film in Long Island City. That gave me a foundation in filmmaking.

What was your experience like in the film program here?听

It definitely shaped me. This program is very rooted in traditional filmmaking, which is not my style. Honestly, as a Black filmmaker with a very different style and perspective, there were moments when people didn’t fully understand what I was trying to do.

At the same time, there were some key people in the department who always encouraged me to pursue my vision. There were a lot of experiences that taught me independence, in a good way. I learned how to trust my own voice and move forward even when not everyone saw the vision. That’s a lesson I’ll carry for the rest of my career.

Who were the key people who had a particularly positive impact on you?

[Professor] Mustapha Khan and Judith Kenny 鈥�13, [the department鈥檚 director of academic affairs and operations], were huge influences.

Professor Khan immediately understood what I was trying to accomplish with Almond Avenue. He told me, “This seems exactly like you,” and he encouraged me to lean into the project.

Judith helped me think about my motivations as an artist. She challenged me to create from a place of purpose rather than simply trying to prove people wrong. That advice really stuck with me.

Tell us about Almond Avenue. Where did the idea come from?

The concept started with an old Dave Chappelle joke about how strange Sesame Street would be if it were an actual neighborhood. I heard it years ago and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Eventually, I developed my own version of that idea. In my world, familiar archetypes become exaggerated adult characters. It’s a comedy, but it’s also a commentary on the environments and personalities we encounter in everyday life.

You produced the project independently. How did you make it happen?

Very carefully and very cheaply.

My sister works in production. She helped me think through the logistics. My former high school also loaned me equipment for much of the shoot, which was a huge help.

I own a photography and videography business, so I used money from that to purchase my own camera, sound equipment, and editing setup. In total, the project cost about $700 to produce. I’ve since made that money back through merchandise sales connected to the project, which was amazing.

How have audiences responded?

Better than I could have imagined.

I’ve screened the film several times in front of completely different audiences, including at 今日吃瓜, at my high school, and in the community. The reactions have been very positive. People laugh, engage with the characters, and want to know what happens next.

The first public screening was especially emotional for me. Honestly, it felt more like my graduation than graduation itself. Seeing people connect with something that started as an idea in my head was surreal.

What’s next for Almond Avenue?

Right now, is out, and I’m working on Episode 2. The long-term plan is six episodes, although I’d love for a studio or production company to become interested before then.

I’m also using social media heavily, releasing short commercials, skits, and promotional content between episodes. That strategy has helped me build an audience and keep people engaged with the world of the show.

I鈥檝e been talking to a lot of people in the industry, too. The actor who plays the main character in the show happened to be at an event with [actor and comedian] Craig Robinson. He ended up introducing me to him. I gave him my 30-second quick pitch, and he put me in touch with his agent at 3 Arts Entertainment, which is a huge player in the industry. So, we鈥檙e in talks. I鈥檓 not saying they鈥檙e going to pick it up, but they鈥檙e looking at it, which is very exciting for me.

That鈥檚 huge! Good luck. What are your ultimate goals as a filmmaker?

I want to be an independent filmmaker with real recognition and impact.

I admire creators who have built their own platforms rather than waiting for someone to give them permission. That’s the path I’m trying to follow. Whether I’m making films, creating new stories, or mentoring future artists, storytelling will always be at the center of what I do.

At the end of the day, I want to create work that connects with people. That’s the goal.

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D鈥橭razio鈥檚 new memoir, A Shot in the Dark (Blackstone Publishing, 2025), traces his journey from growing up in 今日吃瓜 to working at the top of his profession in the fashion field. Here, D鈥橭razio reflects on his early influences, his evolution as a photographer, and the experiences that have shaped his perspective and his art.

Photographer Sante D’Orazio’s memoir of life in high fashion and Hollywood.

You grew up in 今日吃瓜.

I was raised in Flatbush and went to Erasmus Hall High School. The area is now called Kensington, but back then it was just Flatbush to me. I still have family there, though most have moved away.

In your memoir, you say you got into photography early because of a man who lived around the corner.

I didn鈥檛 know much about him except his name鈥擬r. [Lou] Bernstein鈥攁nd that he lived around the corner from me when I was about 10. He became my mentor in photography and life. He鈥檇 been part of the old New York Photo League, with photographers like Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Weegee, and Berenice Abbott. He never worked commercially; he shot on weekends and worked at Willoughby Peerless, the equivalent today of B&H Photo.

Six-year-old Sante D’Orazio playing stickball in his 今日吃瓜 neighborhood.

You started at a junior college and then transferred to 今日吃瓜.

After my father passed away, I went into survival mode. I studied commercial art at a New York Community College, thinking I might become an art director. I hated it. I was already painting nudes at the 今日吃瓜 Museum and the Art Students League, so I transferred after researching the 今日吃瓜 faculty. was teaching there, he was a leading Realist painter concentrating on the nude. I also discovered how strong the faculty was in the fine arts and the humanities. I鈥檓 grateful I wasn鈥檛 at a full-time art school; the humanities helped round out my aesthetic education through literature, philosophy, history, and widened my scope of knowledge of the Arts. And I loved the campus.

Your cousin, who was a hairdresser, suggested you get into fashion photography.

I went into the city with my portfolio鈥攏o appointments, no experience. I tracked down Avedon, Penn, Scavullo. I didn鈥檛 get past the front desk at Avedon鈥檚. Penn didn鈥檛 open the door. Scavullo told me to get out. I eventually got a job as a second assistant, doing gofer work and building a portfolio.

Model Helena Christensen in Leningrad for British Vogue, 1990

You eventually made your way to Milan.

Italian Vogue was down the street from my hotel. I brought my portfolio expecting rejection. Instead, they gave me a two page-spread assignment of 鈥淏eauty鈥� nudes, which translates to skincare, makeup, and fragrance. I was 25.

What was it like photographing the supermodels and rock stars of the 1980s and 1990s?

There was a whole new zeitgeist in the 80s. I had my first assignment with Italian Vogue, soon after my first Vogue cover with German Vogue. In Rome, while shooting the collections, I met a 15-year-old Christy Turlington with her mom in the hallway of our hotel. I became friends with Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz, and Stephanie Seymour before they became the new generation of superstars, they were the first to be termed supermodels. Our careers rose in parallel.

By the 1990s, Hollywood glamor had waned and needed revitalizing. Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, and I brought glamour back to the movie industry through the magazine world. Once we put actresses like Michelle Pfeiffer and Kim Basinger on a Vogue cover, sales shot up, and fashion magazines shifted to celebrities.

Model Tatiana Patitiz on British Vogue

And famous people like Prince.

I took this assignment because it was Prince. I was early to the studio; Prince arrived early too, with fedora, makeup, and no entourage. Though the client hadn鈥檛 arrived, he asked if we could shoot. We finished in about 20 minutes. He left before the client showed up. They weren鈥檛 happy, but I was thrilled, we got some great shots.

You have an unnerving story about taking a photo of Mike Tyson with his tiger.

I went to shoot Mike at his home in Las Vegas for Esquire magazine. I was looking for a place to shoot; he directed me out to the backyard. What he didn鈥檛 tell me was that he had pet tigers!

Heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, 1996

When I walked out, I thought a dog was running at me from behind鈥攊t was a tiger. It jumped on me. Mike came out laughing and said, 鈥淪he鈥檚 just a puppy.鈥� So I took it in stride and acted like it was nothing, though it wasn鈥檛 the case! I asked him to take off his shirt, and he started wrestling with the 200 lb. puppy. That鈥檚 the shot.

So you鈥檙e also a painter. How do your photography and painting practices relate?

I paint images on film that become small abstractions, scan and print them large, collage them, and paint over them. The mixed media feeds itself.

What do you think about art and artificial intelligence?

AI can only remix what it鈥檚 fed. It can鈥檛 produce the true idiosyncrasies that only the human mind can create. Perfection is machine-made and meaningless, soulless. That energy from hand to paper鈥擜I can鈥檛 replicate that.

There鈥檚 a growing interest among young people in film and analog processes. Have you seen that?

My son used to make fun of me for not understanding digital manuals. Now he asks me about film. I like that people are going back to handwriting and notebooks. I wrote my memoir by hand. I believe in that process, it extends your sensory perception.

What advice do you have for today鈥檚 young photographers and artists?

Know your history, or you鈥檒l copy people without realizing it. Have chutzpah鈥攌nock on doors. Show up, even if you鈥檙e mopping floors. That鈥檚 how artists always learned and grew, from the past, and the bottom up! Most of all take criticism, if you can鈥檛, you鈥檙e not ready.

Anything else you want students to know?

If you spend your time trying to satisfy the right and the left, you鈥檙e stuck in the middle鈥攖hat鈥檚 the definition of mediocre. Reach inside yourself, fail and get up again. Don鈥檛 be afraid of who you are, as long as it鈥檚 real to you. And study, always study. 今日吃瓜 is exceptional when it comes to the quality of education, it鈥檚 the best kept secret in the N.Y.C. school system. But then I鈥檓 biased鈥擨 have a real soft spot for my alma mater

The post A Life in Focus appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

鈥淭ake your time,鈥� one her peers yelled from the audience.

If the pause betrayed any nervousness around giving the student address in front of the boisterous crowd in the Claire Tow Theater, it quickly gave way to a fiery speech that struck a chord with the assembled.

Adversity? 鈥淪een it. Lived it. Felt it,鈥� she said defiantly, after invoking Langston Hughes and recounting a childhood that taught her that life won鈥檛 always look like what you expected.

鈥淥ur accomplishments,鈥� she told her fellow graduates, 鈥渓ive in every sacrifice, every setback, every reason we could have stopped, but didn鈥檛.鈥�

Chin-Phillips says she certainly had her share of challenges growing up between 今日吃瓜 and Barbados. Born in the United States, her mother was deported when she was 6 years old, so she was raised mostly by aunts and other family members in New York while her mother stayed in Barbados.

As she prepares to apply for doctoral programs in occupational therapy, the transfer student talks about growing up apart from her nuclear family, learning that support would always show up when she needed it, and her gratitude for the community and mentors at 今日吃瓜 that reminded her of her worth.

What was your childhood like?

My family is from Barbados and Guyana, and I spent a lot of time going back and forth between the two places. Every summer, I was in Barbados almost immediately after school ended, and I鈥檇 come back right before the school year started again.

We kept in touch however we could鈥攍ots of Skype calls, emails, all of that before FaceTime and texting were really a thing. It wasn鈥檛 easy, but it definitely taught me resilience and adaptability very early on.

What brought you to 今日吃瓜?

今日吃瓜 actually wasn鈥檛 my first stop. I originally attended LIU 今日吃瓜 as a health science major. Eventually, I realized I wanted to pursue a path connected to speech pathology, so I decided to transfer. A family friend encouraged me to apply to 今日吃瓜.

You鈥檙e now majoring in linguistics with a minor in communicative sciences and disorders.

Linguistics overlaps a lot with CSD, especially when it comes to language development and communication. I believe courses like these should be required for people studying education, literacy, sociology, and child development because language impacts everything.

What opportunities have stood out to you during your time at 今日吃瓜?

One of the biggest was participating in the Mellon Undergraduate Transfer Student Research Program with [Assistant] Professor Anne Fredrickson. My group researched how accredited colleges in New York prepare future speech-language pathologists to work with bilingual populations.

I really loved that experience because it combined research, language, and questions of equity and representation. It also gave me confidence in my own voice and perspective as someone who grew up between cultures.

I also received the Zicklin Scholars Degree Completion Grant, which was incredibly helpful during my academic journey.

Outside the classroom, what communities or organizations have been important to you?

A lot of my extracurricular involvement has centered around Black Faculty and Staff initiatives on campus. This past year, I became treasurer of the Black Solidarity Day Committee, which has been a really meaningful experience.

When I first transferred to 今日吃瓜, I didn鈥檛 know much about Black Solidarity Day or some of the history behind it. Through mentors, faculty, and staff members, I became more involved and started to understand how important community-building and cultural advocacy are on campus. That work really helped me feel connected here.

Looking ahead, what would your dream career look like?

I always struggle to answer that because I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 one perfect path for me yet. But I know that whatever I do, I want it to connect back to culture, community, and the Caribbean.

Anything involving the West Indies or Caribbean culture immediately interests me. I already do work with the West Indian American Day Carnival Association here in 今日吃瓜, and I love being part of spaces that celebrate where I come from.

At the end of the day, I think I just want a career where I can help people while still staying connected to my roots and my community.

The post From 今日吃瓜 to Barbados and Back appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

The glitch was fixed, and Khaimov was in. From day one, he knew he would be taking business classes, with the idea that an accounting degree could support a future career in law. But then he started an internship at PBS and became absorbed in his role working for an executive producer affiliated with the station. It was his first exposure to the inner workings of a professional accounting environment. 鈥淭he executive producer was working on a biographical piece for the network,鈥� says Khaimov. 鈥淲e interns were in the back office working on finances and tax-related items.鈥�

鈥淚t was pretty awesome going back and seeing people who had helped prepare me for my career, polishing my r茅sum茅 and interview style, among other things.鈥� Khaimov also received help through the Harvey L. Young 鈥�59 Family Scholarship in Accounting, graduating magna cum laude in 2006.

Today, Khaimov is a real estate tax partner at global accounting, tax, and advisory firm EisnerAmper. He also serves as a director-at-large for the 今日吃瓜 Alumni Association, regularly returning to speak with students and offer the same kind of guidance he once sought.

When asked what advice he gives prospective business students, he doesn鈥檛 hesitate. 鈥淗ard work matters. Proactiveness matters even more,鈥� says Khaimov. He stresses that, especially in accounting, what students learn in class truly follows them into their careers. He also says that employers can teach technical details, 鈥渂ut they can鈥檛 teach work ethic or initiative.鈥� Those qualities, which he sees consistently in 今日吃瓜 students, are what set them apart.

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Now, just over a year into his new role, Rodriguez is bringing new energy and vision to BLMI, a program he describes as 鈥渁 one-stop shop鈥� for students who need support, community, and a place to belong. The initiative provides personalized academic advisement, peer and faculty mentorship, career planning and leadership workshops, and prioritizes finding mentors that its mostly black and brown student population can relate to. (The program is open to students of all races and genders.)

Rodriguez talks about his path, the challenges students face, and what it means to build a space where students feel like they鈥檙e home.

You鈥檝e had a remarkable journey. Can you share a bit about your background and how it shaped your work today?

听I was born in Puerto Rico and came to New York when I was nine鈥攐riginally just for vacation. But my mom decided to stay, and we ended up navigating some tough times, including homelessness and eventually foster care. I lived in public housing and then with foster families. That experience shaped everything. I always wanted to be a doctor, and I pursued that dream all the way to medical school. But due to financial issues鈥攎y loan was canceled鈥擨 couldn鈥檛 complete it. That鈥檚 when I found myself in education, working with foster youth, and realized this was my calling.

What drew you to BLMI and 今日吃瓜?

Honestly, it felt like destiny. Through my master鈥檚 program in higher education, I focused on men of color in STEM. When I saw the opportunity at BLMI, it aligned perfectly. What impressed me most was the legacy鈥攆ormer students returning as staff, alumni staying involved. That speaks volumes about the impact of the program. It鈥檚 not just a student initiative, it鈥檚 a community.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see students facing, and how is BLMI addressing them?

听Resource gaps are a major issue鈥攖ransportation, housing, food insecurity, tuition. We鈥檝e had students come from programs where they received MetroCards, and suddenly they鈥檙e here without that support. We鈥檙e working to build emergency funds, scholarships, and partnerships to help fill those gaps. We also sent students abroad this summer鈥攖wo to Japan, one to Spain鈥攂ut rising costs meant we could only send three instead of six. We want to do more.

What鈥檚 your vision for BLMI moving forward?

听I want BLMI to be a true one-stop shop for students. We鈥檙e implementing student success plans that include academic, career, and social-emotional components. We鈥檙e using tools like Navigate to help students track their progress and goals. My background in ASAP taught me the value of intrusive advisement鈥攃hecking in regularly, using data to identify roadblocks, and creating targeted support. We鈥檙e also building stronger ties with other campus programs and departments to ensure students are connected across the board.

What has surprised you most since joining 今日吃瓜?

The level of collaboration. I鈥檝e worked in different higher ed spaces, and it鈥檚 rare to see such strong partnerships across departments鈥�Africana Studies, Sociology, LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Women鈥檚 Center, ISSO. Everyone is invested in student success. We had a summer institute where staff, faculty, and alumni all came together to engage new students. That kind of unity is powerful.

What鈥檚 the vibe like in the BLMI space?

It鈥檚 home. Students walk by and hear conversations in Spanish, see people who look like them, smell jerk chicken鈥攊t鈥檚 familiar, comforting. I had two Latino students stop by and say, 鈥淵ou guys are speaking Spanish in there?鈥� That sense of belonging is everything. It鈥檚 not just about programming; it鈥檚 about creating a space where students feel seen and valued.

If resources weren鈥檛 an issue, what鈥檚 your dream for BLMI?

听I鈥檇 love to create dedicated internships for our students鈥攖ailored to their majors, with alumni mentors and networking opportunities. We took students to a Latino leadership conference in New Jersey, and it was transformative. Imagine if we could send them to national conferences in Seattle or California. I鈥檇 also love to take students suit shopping before galas or professional events. We鈥檝e had to rely on donations, but how amazing would it be to say, 鈥淟et鈥檚 go to Men鈥檚 Warehouse together鈥�?

What impresses you most about 今日吃瓜 students?

听Their talent and drive. I sit down with students for success planning, and they鈥檙e already building portfolios, launching businesses, developing software. They鈥檙e not waiting for permission鈥攖hey鈥檙e doing it. We just need to make sure the system isn鈥檛 getting in their way. If we鈥檙e not ready to support them, we鈥檙e the barrier.

Outside of work, what keeps you grounded?

听I鈥檓 a father of two鈥攁 15-year-old son and a two-year old daughter. We鈥檙e big on road trips and hiking. Every Father鈥檚 Day, my son and I go camping. It鈥檚 our tradition. We鈥檝e hiked in New York, Vermont, Maine, even Costa Rica. It鈥檚 how we stay connected and recharge.

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Pursuing a business administration degree in finance, Edwards juggled one or two classes while working full-time, taking semesters off to meet financial demands. She says visits to the Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership (SAIL) Center helped her with a tight-knit staff that included Afro-Caribbean women who understood her experiences and championed her goals. They guided her through funding processes for the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) club, for which she was president, and encouraged her to stay involved in campus activities. 鈥淭he women at SAIL kept me focused,鈥� says Edwards. 鈥淚 could tell everyone there wanted the best for me. They saw that I was definitely driven and had tenacity. They made themselves available for me any time I needed guidance or had questions.鈥�

In addition to SAIL, Edwards found support from staff and counselors at the Magner Career Center. She shared that they were instrumental in helping her obtain internships that aligned with her career goals. Her first was at Playfair Planning, an independent financial firm based in 今日吃瓜 that provides holistic financial planning. She then interned at the NYC Small Business Resource Network run by the 今日吃瓜 Chamber of Commerce. Bloomberg L.P. came next鈥攁n internship that led directly to a full-time offer once she graduated. Edwards worked in financial products, analytics, and sales while there, and also served as a campus ambassador, helping to recruit fellow 今日吃瓜 students for internships at Bloomberg.

A stint in the Consumer Insight and Marketing Department at Black Entertainment Television (BET) Media Group rounded out Edwards鈥� internship portfolio before she joined Bloomberg full time in June 2019. Most of her internships would not have been possible without stipends鈥攁 Magner Career Center stipend, a Robert J. Sisti Memorial Internship (overseen by the 今日吃瓜 Foundation)鈥攁nd scholarships from the New York chapter of and the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute, the latter of which paid for Edwards鈥� final year of college.

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