10/01/2026
Earlier this week, we officially opened the RISE Center at Kingsborough Community College! The Resources for Immigrant Student Success in Education (RISE) Center will provide coordinated, centralized academic, career, financial, legal, and mental health support for our immigrant students and their families.
Approximately 150 students, faculty, staff, administrators, and supporters from across CUNY and the Brooklyn community joined us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the International Hall of Flags.
I was happy to be joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, The City University of New York Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Denise Maybank, CUNY Director for Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs Cynthia Carvajal, PSC Secretary Andrea Vásquez, Professor Robert Cowan of the PSC's Immigrant Solidarity Working Group, Brooklyn College ISSO, founding director Jesús Pérez, KCC Foundation Chair Dr. Kwesi Blackman, KCC Foundation Trustee Dr. Vanessa V. Vales-Lewis, Dean of Student Affairs Natasha Edwards, RISE Center Director Gavin Ireland, our immigration attorney Erick Myssura, and KCC student Aijamal Sharshenova.
Every single Kingsborough student deserves our full support to succeed in college.
- Kingsborough President Suri Duitch