Category: Interviews

An interview with Mahameda Begum was conducted on March 22, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Mahameda Begum is a former student of the Accelerated Studies in the Associate Programs (ASAP) at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and is currently pursuing her studies at City College. She worked as an ASAP Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader providing support in math. Mahameda was born and raised in Bangladesh. In November 2015, Mahameda moved with her family to New York City. In this interview, she reflects on the importance of women’s education and her aspirations of becoming a math teacher.

An interview with John Holemans was conducted on April 30, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

John Holemans is an Accelerated Studies in the Associate Programs (ASAP) student at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) studying accounting. John has been on the road for most of his life. Through his constant travels, John opened his eyes to new possibilities of ways of living. In this interview, John challenges the dominant western culture of individualism and invites us to practice more empathy. Watch John’s interview to hear his reflection on the current economical system and its possible alternatives.

An interview with Jose Huete was conducted on June 03, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Jose Huete is a former student in the Accelerated Study in the Associate Programs (ASAP) at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). He is a Biology Tutor for ASAP, helping students reach their dreams. Jose is graduating with a degree in nursing from Hunter College in Spring 2021. Jose is a proud Honduran who is determined to become a certified nurse despite the high cost of school tuition for international students like him. In this interview, Jose reflects on the shortcomings of the entry tests to nursing programs and how and why these tests should be adjusted to give credit to students’ social-emotional skills in addition to the current focus on academic content knowledge.

An interview with Shemaine James was conducted on May 6, 2021, in New York, NY, by Opeoluwa Olaniyan for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Shemaine James is a current student at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and is also a member of the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). She plans on transferring from BMCC to Hunter College and eventually working in the medical field. Shemaine is originally from Guyana and came to the United States in hope of securing better opportunities. She is passionate about her education and gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of social norms on mental health.

An interview with Ryan Lopez conducted on March 25, 2021 by Jahkwan Taillefer for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Ryan Lopez reflects on how anything can be an influence on a person’s life, from the people we surround ourselves with, to something as simple as our taste in music, and more. He shares his story of how his environment played a pivotal role in shaping his childhood experiences and making him into the man he is today. Follow him on his journey of self-reflection, growth, and self-fulfillment, and listen to his advice on how to avoid pitfalls similar to his and become a better person in spite of them.

An interview with Aniqa Mannaf was conducted on March 2, 2021, in New York, NY, by Wesley Sanders for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Aniqa Mannaf is a former Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) student who currently studies at Lehman College, where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Aniqa is a Chemistry Tutor as a part of the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). Aniqa was born and raised in Bangladesh and moved to New York City after graduating high school. In this interview, Aniqa reflects on the need for gender reform and the disparity between the way men and women are treated in Bangladesh when it comes to equal rights.

An interview with Khadiza Nesa was conducted on March 22, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Khadiza Nesa is a former student of the Accelerated Studies in the Associate Programs (ASAP) student at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC).

An interview with Camille Neves was conducted on April 27, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Camille Neves is a student in the Accelerated Studies in Associate Programs (ASAP) at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), where she studies multimedia programming and design. Camille loves to express herself through the arts and her preferred mediums are painting and sculpture. In this interview, Camille reflects on her life in New York City as a Latina from Brazil and discusses ways in which the arts can be applied to advocacy.

An interview with Opeoluwa Olaniyan was conducted on March 19, 2021, in New York, NY, by Ines Anous for the Becoming the Change Interview Project.

Opeoluwa Olaniyan is a former Accelerated Studies in Associate Programs (ASAP) and Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) student, and is currently studying biological science at Hunter College. She works as an ASAP tutor providing support in English, and is also the president of the Pre-Health Society at BMCC. Opeoluwa was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. In November of 2016, Opeoluwa moved to New York. In this interview, she reflects on the high cost of medical school, especially for students with a working class background, and on her aspirations to become a doctor.