A Vision for Undergraduate Student Success

Student Success Stories


Andrew Bandini
Class: 2019
Major: Law & Society
Hometown: Manhasset Hills, NY

When you first came to John Jay, what obstacles were you most concerned about?
I was nervous about navigating a college as large and as complex as John Jay. I came from a relatively small high school where resources were easily accessible and well-advertised. But when I first stepped on campus, I was overwhelmed with all the resources offered. To fully understand all the opportunities, I relied heavily on advice from my academic advisor and peers in the Honors Program.

How do you define success?
I think that success and happiness are closely related. For the longest time, I measured success in dollar signs. But, my experience at John Jay has taught me that success is much more than how much money is in your bank account. I have held a number of on-campus positions—some have been paid, while others have been unpaid. Through these positions, I’ve helped to create a better campus environment for students, and the positive role I've played in the lives of other students brings me immense happiness—happiness that, quite frankly, can't be bought.

What programs have helped you succeed at John Jay?
The Pre-Law Institute has given me valuable insight regarding my career aspirations. I’ve participated in pre-law boot camps, which gave me a taste of what law school is like. I am also enrolled in an LSAT preparatory class, which is provided free-of-charge by the Pre-Law Institute. But the most rewarding experience that the Pre-Law Institute gave me was the Judicial Internship Program. Through the program, I received the opportunity to work in the Bronx Civil Supreme Court. In the courthouse I worked closely with the judge to conduct legal research. This semester-long internship has been the most rewarding professional experience I've ever had, and it wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the Pre-Law Institute.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams after you graduate from John Jay?
I aspire to attend law school, though I'm still uncertain of which type of law I would like to practice.

What would you say is the biggest "key" to your academic achievement?
My academic advisor, Adrienne Fitzgerald. Any time I feel conflicted, overwhelmed, or discouraged, Ms. Fitzgerald is willing to hear my frustrations and provide feasible solutions to any issue I may encounter. Additionally, my friends serve as "keys" to my academic success, spending late nights studying with me, and encouraging me to remain diligent when it comes to my studies.

 

Marienela Heredia
Class: 2019
Major: Cell & Molecular Biology
Hometown: Bronx, NY

When you first came to John Jay, what obstacles were you most concerned about?
When I first arrived at John Jay, I had a couple of major worries. The first was that I honestly wasn't sure of what I wanted to do after finishing my undergraduate studies. While I knew I wanted to do something involving science, I had no idea what kind of job or professional degree I wanted to obtain afterward. The second obstacle I was faced with was self-doubt. I was able to overcome these obstacles by trying new things with an open mind, and simply putting myself out there. I realized that my passion lies in scientific research, and that in order to reach my goals, having faith in myself is just as important as working hard in class and in the research lab.

How do you define success?
I think success at John Jay is defined by how satisfied with yourself you are at the end of your undergraduate years. I think I’ve been succeeding at John Jay because I’m wholly satisfied with the work I've done and the role I've played in putting John Jay's name out there in the world of science and scientific research. In terms of success in life, I think success is defined by one's ability to bounce back from failure and try again. This is something I've learned working in the research lab for almost two years. It's impossible to attain success—no matter what "success" might mean—if one gives up and stops trying when faced with failure.

What programs have helped you succeed at John Jay?
The PRISM Program has helped me succeed at John Jay by offering me a myriad of opportunities to explore my interests, learn new things, and put my skills to good use. Through PRISM, I discovered my passion for research, and the idea of asking a scientific question and using my imagination and the knowledge already out there to answer that question. PRISM has also opened a lot of doors for me that I would not have had access to otherwise, allowing me to conduct research at a high level. Through PRISM I was able to participate in the 2018 Amgen Scholars Program at MIT. Without the knowledge and experience that I have acquired in the PRISM program, I wouldn't have the confidence and the skills needed to pursue a graduate degree in biomedical sciences upon completing my four years here at John Jay.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams after you graduate from John Jay?
Upon graduating from John Jay, my immediate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences or microbiology at a top-tier research institution, with the end goal of entering into the field of academia.

What would you say is the biggest "key" to your academic achievement?
The biggest key to my academic achievements has been a strong support system, both at home and here at John Jay. As part of the Macaulay Honors Program and PRISM, I am lucky to have faculty and staff members at John Jay who have motivated me along the way. They have always pushed me to do my best and strive to reach my goals, no matter how out of reach they might seem. To me, this type of support has been crucial to my development as a student, a scientist, and an individual striving to attain her academic and life goals.

 

Lisa Cho
Class: 2020
Major: Criminology and Dispute Resolution Certificate 
Hometown: Kitty, Georgetown, Guyana

When you first came to John Jay, what obstacles were you most concerned about?
When I was applying to college, I realized that being an undocumented Asian immigrant was going to limit my chances of receiving different opportunities. I was terrified that earning a bachelor's degree was going to be the full extent of my education, because both of my siblings only earned their associates or bachelor’s degrees. I was afraid that I was going to do the same thing. But, I overcame that obstacle with the help of faculty and staff at John Jay. I remember telling Nancy Yang that I wanted to be a lawyer and she connected me to Professor Morín, and that gave me the chance to apply for the Ronald H. Brown Program. I realized that I have people at John Jay who are willing to go above and beyond to help me secure the opportunities I need to succeed.

 How do you define success?
At John Jay, I define success in terms of my grades. Every semester I try my hardest to get As in my classes because those grades show all the hard work I put in for that semester. Every time I see an A next to a class it reminds me that hard work pays off and there is no easy way to earn those grades. In my life, I define success as happiness and being a good role model. I love being able to mentor students, making sure that they succeed despite any challenges they might face. I believe in giving back to the people and community that helped me.

What programs have helped you succeed at John Jay?
The Ronald H. Brown Program (RHB) has helped me take steps to making my dream of becoming a lawyer a reality. Even though I’ve wanted to be a lawyer for a long time, I didn’t know where to start. I think the only thing I knew was that I needed to take the LSAT. With RHB I was exposed to the process of applying to law school with weekly guest speakers, evening events, and seminars where I got to ask practicing attorneys questions about their struggles through law school. These people and their empowering stories made me want to work harder and learn more about different fields of law.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams after you graduate from John Jay?
After graduating from John Jay, I plan to attend law school. I don't know which law school, but I'm going to aim high when I start applying. I hope and dream to one day be a Justice in The Supreme Court of the United States. I want to inspire other Asian Americans to aim high with their goals. I also hope to help create more programs that invest in the education of people who don’t have the means to continue.

What would you say is the biggest "key" to your academic achievement?
The biggest key to my academic achievement is all the professors and advisors I have met. I think having people like Nancy Yang and Dr. Isabel Martinez have helped prevent me from feeling burnt out in school. They are always so welcoming and ready to listen to all your problems and comfort you. In addition to Nancy and Dr. Martinez, I have faculty and staff members, like Professor Morín and Professor Roure, who helped me write my resume and personal statements. I think every student should have a team that gives both emotional and academic support, because without these professors and advisors, and the resources they gave me, I don’t think I would be achieving as much, or doing all these internships and activities.

What John Jay experiences have helped you the most?
My favorite experience at John Jay is Pizza Mondays. Pizza Mondays was born from an idea that the DREAM.us scholars had when we first meet with our SASP coaches. The weekly meeting became a place where I felt like I belonged, because there were people who were in a similar situation as me. They were the people who were my allies during a time when I felt alone and scared about my future. Pizza Mondays helped me stay grounded, because no matter what problems or fears I had, I knew there were people going through the same thing as me. Pizza Mondays was also where the idea of the Immigrant Student Success Center was born, and I am so grateful for everyone who helped me feel more safe at John Jay.

 

Teresa Baez
Class: 2020
Major: Forensic Psychology
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

When you first came to John Jay, what obstacles were you most concerned about?
When I first came to John Jay I was most concerned about making friends and fitting in. The summer before starting my freshmen year I got an invite for a summer series called Adelante Advantage. This was a four-day series that would prepare us for College and it allowed us to meet our classmates for our first-year seminar course. I attended this event and met some amazing people who have been my best friends for the past two years.

 How do you define success?
I believe success is when a person is happy. Many people believe that they’re successful when they are making a lot of money, but I would rather be happy than make a lot of money.

What programs have helped you succeed at John Jay?
Adelante has helped me succeed at John Jay with all the events and workshops they offer. In my first semester at John Jay they hosted two workshops that really helped me adapt to college life, time management, and study skills. These workshops helped me come up with plans to keep myself more organized and get better grades in my classes. In the second semester of my freshman year, I was in a program called Adelante Edge, which helped us grow professionally. This program also helped me gain the confidence to become a peer success coach for Adelante.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams after you graduate from John Jay?
After I graduate from John Jay I want to work as a mentor for people who have come out of prison. I want to help them find jobs and adapt in society. After working for a few years I also want to go to graduate school and get my master’s degree in Forensic Psychology, and then become a prison counselor.

What would you say is the biggest "key" to your academic achievement?
The biggest key to my academic achievement is Adelante. The program really caters to the students’ needs, and when we asked for certain workshops they make it happen. They had workshops on how to take notes, email etiquette, and how to make a good first impression on our professors. My peer success coach also helped me stay on top of my classes by hosting the workshops my classmates and I needed.

What John Jay experiences have helped you the most?
I love John Jay for many different reasons. I love the diversity that this College has because in my previous school there was nobody that looked like me. Here, I was able to fit in right away, especially after joining the Adelante program.

 

Stephanie Calderon
Class: 2019
Major: English
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

When you first came to John Jay, what obstacles were you most concerned about?
Coming from an immigrant, single-parent household there was always this pressure to know what my career and school goals were. When I first came to John Jay, I was afraid that I might not stick to those goals, and then disappoint my mom. Majoring in the sciences was one of my mom’s biggest bragging rights to her friends and our family. So when I made the extremely hard decision to change to English, that disappointment came crashing down on me. But I knew in my heart it was the best decision I could have made. And, my Adelante Peer Success Coach helped me by supporting my decision.  

How do you define success?
I define success at John Jay as having networks and being able to understand how higher education affects students. And in life, my idea of success is being happy with where life has taken you.

What programs have helped you succeed at John Jay?
Adelante has helped me since the moment I walked into campus. Although I'm Colombian and Puerto Rican, raised in a Mexican household, I still struggled with understanding what being Latinx meant. I never took the time to learn what it meant to be surrounded by my Latinx community. Being in Adelante was the first step of learning about my culture and how it would affect me in my career. As time went on, Adelante became a family, which was crucial for me when I didn't have anyone to lean on in my personal life. Looking back now, if it wasn't for Adelante and the Peer Success Coaches, I'm not sure I would have made it through my first year.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams after you graduate from John Jay?
I want to continue on for my M.F.A. in Creative Writing—my dream schools are Rutgers and City College. And, eventually I want to get my Ph.D. in Latinx Literature, ideally from CUNY Graduate Center. With my career aspirations, I'm not sure what I want to do, but I hope to one day come back to John Jay and teach a fiction writing course where the students will focus on writing about their ethnic backgrounds and stereotypes.

What would you say is the biggest "key" to your academic achievement?
Without a doubt, the biggest "key" to my academic success has been Adelante and the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department.