Meet the BMCC-Columbia NYC Scholars

Meet the inaugural cohort of BMCC–Columbia NYC Scholars! Hailing from around the world and across the five boroughs, the resilience and academic excellence these students embody highlights not just the spirit of the NYC Scholars program, but of BMCC and Columbia GS as well.

Irfan Rahman

Irfan Rahman’s journey began in Dhaka, Bangladesh where a chronic hip condition challenged educational norms. He often found himself studying from a hospital bed or on log bus commutes. The challenges didn’t stop when he arrived in the United States. “I took on multiple responsibilities, including working 12-hour shifts at Burger King, managing family needs, and eventually starting at BMCC.”

Alongside classes at BMCC, Rahman pursued internships in data science and accessibility technology, which led him to GS. “My experiences shaped my passion for using technology to solve real-world problems and made me eager to join a community that values resilience and diversity.”

Rahman was drawn to GS for many reasons, but the community was a stand-out. “I applied to GS because it offers a supportive and inclusive environment for nontraditional students like me. The flexible academic structure, dedicated advising, and strong computer science program make it the perfect place for me to grow as a software engineer,” he said. “GS also provides unparalleled research opportunities and a community of peers with similar unique journeys, which motivates me to pursue my goals and give back through impactful work.”

Driven by a deep desire to make a meaningful impact, Rahman hopes to use his growing knowledge of software engineering and data science to build tools that serve others. “At GS, I’m excited to continue developing solutions that combine innovation and compassion while learning from an inspiring community.”

Ime Ekpo

Born to Nigerian immigrants in the Bronx, Ime Ekpo grew up on Staten Island. A journalist passionate about classic hip hop, she returned to education to hone her professional skills after five years in the workforce. “I wanted to become a more ethical and refined journalist, so I resumed my undergraduate studies at BMCC, earning an associate's degree in writing and literature with a journalism concentration.”

After participating in the Black Studies Across the Americas program, Ekpo looked to pursue further academia — and GS was just the place. “As a nontraditional student, I have often felt excluded from the conversation. However, I found solace in Columbia GS's focus on serving students like myself.”

Columbia’s research-focused mission allows Ekpo to continue exploring African Studies, while contributing to Forbes’ Hollywood and running her own online publication. “The flexibility that Columbia GS offers is a perfect fit, allowing me to continue my studies and journalism career while staying based in New York City.”

In beginning her GS journey, Ekpo reflected on advice she received: “A wise woman once advised me to remain true to my essence. I must refrain from losing sight of my personal values and gleaming goals, and instead, adhere to my authenticity in everything I do at GS. This experience is meant to enhance the best parts of myself.”

Sally Weitzner

Sally Weitzner is a Brooklyn native pursuing a degree in film and media studies from GS after experience working in the visual arts. “I graduated from BMCC with a degree in animation and have worked as a freelance 2D animator and character designer.”

When she isn’t watching horror movies with her friends, Weitzner is sketching from life, which led her to GS’s diverse community. “I wanted to continue my study of visual storytelling in a community of peers with diverse experiences, which was an essential part of my time in community college.” 

Isabela Bandeira

Isabela Bandeira has loved English literature for as long as she can remember. At age 12, she started reading the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, among others. “I knew the stories in those books were part of a dream I never expected to fulfill. So I read and wrote, and just like that, I began to manifest the life I’m living now.”

Bandeira grew up in a low-income family in Brazil and when she was 16, moved to the U.S. with her father. Not knowing any English proved challenging, but she persevered. She learned and practiced English at school and also through poetry, dance, and theater—“my passions,” she said—and by working at McDonald’s and as a babysitter and dog walker. When the pandemic struck, they lost their jobs and needed to go back to Brazil. “I had to leave the ‘American dream’ behind,” she said. “I returned to Brazil feeling sad and hopeless, thinking my dream of pursuing English outside the country was over.”

But Bandeira didn’t give up—she kept writing and practicing English as much as she could. Even in the face of grief (she lost one of the most special people in her life during the pandemic) she kept writing. “Grief led me to write as a way to heal, and my poetry gained popularity online, eventually allowing me to publish my book. That success helped me save enough money to start studying at BMCC.”

Bandeira flourished at BMCC and dove into the community, including serving as president of Alpha Kappa Chapter, BMCC’s division of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. The School’s motto “Start Here. Go Anywhere” resonated deeply with Bandeira and she found herself drawn to it in challenging times. “Part of me always believed that, even when it seemed impossible,” she recalled.

Now at GS, her dreams have become a reality. “I thought I was too old, too late, with English that wasn’t good enough…That little girl who had always dreamed of academia, research, and immersing herself in English and writing is so proud of herself,” she said. “GS allowed me to dream again. It taught me that no dream is too big.”

Natanel Cohen

Natanel Cohen spent his elementary and secondary years at ultra-orthodox yeshivas in Manhattan. His educational path left little room for secular subjects he was interested in, like math, history, and science. By high school, he began questioning the narrow framework he was raised in and quietly sought to expand his perspective—and help close the academic gaps that left him behind his secular peers.

College wasn’t initially on Cohen’s radar. It took a profound personal upheaval to shift perspective: his mother’s diagnosis of stage 4 melanoma. He witnessed his sister become the full time caretaker for their mother, while simultaneously taking classes at BMCC to earn her nursing degree. His sister’s determination inspired him to forge his own educational path and also enroll at BMCC. “If it were not for my mother’s illness, strength in the face of adversity, and encouragement combined with my sister’s commitment to expanding her horizons, I would not have been inspired to grow beyond previous self-imposed limitations.”

Alongside classes at BMCC, Cohen continued his job as foreman and office salesperson for a moving company. “This ambitious schedule, while leaving little room for error or respite, made my resolve stronger and allowed me to slowly understand how the once seemingly impossible educational pursuits of others are achievable.”  

Now at GS, Cohen reflected on the unpredictability of life and the way higher education will brighten his future. “Emerging from humble beginnings with roots in a tiny yeshiva in the Lower East Side to completing my associate’s degree to not only having been accepted to Columbia but being awarded the NYC Scholars Program scholarship is a major milestone,” he said. “I have faith that, despite my inability to foresee the morphing landscape of life, as I have found my way thus far, I will continue to do so, and it will be my education which will allow me to do it.”