38 THE QUEENS COURIER • GRADUATION • JUNE 24, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
graduation
LaGuardia Community College recognizes resiliency
of its graduates in virtual commencement ceremony
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
LaGuardia Community College held
a virtual commencement celebration
Th ursday, June 17, recognizing the challenges
the 3,300 members of the Class of
2021 faced throughout the COVID-19
pandemic.
Th e event featured speeches from two
“pandemic heroes” who made a mark in
the community in western Queens.
“On behalf of LaGuardia Community
College, I commend the more than 3,300
members of the Class of 2021 for sticking
with their studies despite the diffi -
culties and uncertainties of this past year,
most had to complete the majority of their
degree online,” LaGuardia Community
College President Kenneth Adams said.
“Th is past year showed us that individuals
can make a big impact towards lift ing up
out communities in times of struggle. We
are honored to have two pandemic heroes
speak to our Class of 2021. Sofi a Moncayo
has led eff orts to help families and businesses
in western Queens stay afl oat during
the pandemic, and LaGuardia grad
Kristy Guzman, R.N. treated COVID-
19 patients as an ICU nurse at Bellevue
Hospital in New York City.”
Moncayo delivered the keynote address
aft er spearheading eff orts to help families
and businesses in Sunnyside and
Woodside, which were devastated during
the crisis. She led a food distribution
program through the Mosaic Community
Center that gave out 2,000 boxes of food
each week.
Moncayo also helped start 25 for
Sunnyside & Woodside, a Facebook
group with more than 2,000 members
that encourages neighborhood residents
to patronize area restaurants and businesses.
Th e group is credited with helping
many small businesses recover from
the fi nancial crisis and rehire employees.
Th e Colombian-born Moncayo served
her community while experiencing her
own struggles during the pandemic: she
was furloughed from her accounting job,
and she and her husband had to shut
down their martial arts studio for months.
“When you see people in need, use
the skills and knowledge you gained at
LaGuardia to step up,” Moncayo said.
“Stand up for the marginalized, and do
not be silent in the face of injustice. Give
back to your community and they will
give back to you.”
Guzman, a LaGuardia graduate in 2019,
started working in the intensive care
unit at Bellevue just months before the
COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City.
“Because of LaGuardia, I felt fully
equipped for my nursing job at Bellevue,
where patients with the most diffi cult
cases are oft en transferred from other city
hospitals,” Guzman said. “We have to be
ready for anything.”
She encouraged the graduates to
remember making it through the global
pandemic whenever challenges arise for
them in the future.
“You have been in crisis mode before,
and you persevered,” Guzman said. “You
can do it again.”
Th e Class of 2021 was represented by
Diana Athena, a Russian native graduating
with an associate degree in creative
writing. Unable to work during the pandemic,
Athena applied for scholarship
from the LaGuardia Community College
Foundation and was the fi rst-ever recipient
of the Dr. Susan Young Scholarship,
named in honor of the late English professor
Susan Young.
“I want to keep sharing my story so that
other nontraditional students know they
are not alone in their journey,” Young said.
LaGuardia’s newest associate degreeholders
refl ect the college’s tradition of
serving low-income students, immigrants
and those seeking a second chance
through higher education. More than half
are Pell recipients and 34 percent are TAP
recipients. Th ey come from 113 countries,
and their average age is 27 years old. Many
are the fi rst in their family to earn a college
degree.
“Th e knowledge and skills they gained
at LaGuardia, along with their life experiences,
are needed now more than ever
to eff ect positive change and help revitalize
our communities,” Adams said.
“Congratulations to the graduates and
their loved ones!”
“When you see people in need, use the skills
and knowledge you gained at LaGuardia to
step up. Stand up for the marginalized , and do
not be silent in the face of injustice. Give back
to your community and they will give back to
you.”
— Sofi a Moncayo
Courtesy of LaGuardia Community College
Sunnyside resident Sofi a Moncayo delivers the keynote address during LaGuardia Community College’s commencement celebration.
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