With 30 students from all across the globe, including Guyana, Mexico, Norway, China, India, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Turkey, and Korea as well as exotic places such as Brooklyn and Hamilton Heights, the BIC Class of 2021 graduated more prepared to transform the industry than they had ever imagined. They navigated the unprecedented disruption of a global pandemic with tenacity and grace while rising to every academic challenge -- never wavering in their commitment to earn a BIC degree. From defending exceptional portfolios to pitching integrated marketing campaigns, the BIC Class of 2021 proved that they are agile, sharp and dynamic. 

In the past few months, BIC’s 7th cohort pitched life-saving campaigns for BIC's non-profit capstone partner Memorial Sloan Kettering. They also served up Deliciously Light pitches for their Corporate Capstone client, Diageo, and were rewarded with the ultimate compliment: BIC team presentations were more professional and insightful than most agencies the clients had worked with in their long and varied careers. 

But beyond working effectively in integrated teams, BICsters demonstrated personal and professional power by building unique portfolios that showcased discipline depth in an integrated framework. Portfolio Thesis Defense Day on June 1st was more than just a high-stakes presentation and proof of proficiency; it was the culminating celebration of a well-earned Master of Professional Studies degree. Highest honors for each track went to Alex Rhoden in Public Relations, Jermine Hodge in Creative, and Michael Edwards  in Management / Planning. You can check out some of the outstanding portfolios and BICsters for hire here.

But the proof isn't just in the capstone pitches and portfolios, but in the awards and scholarships bestowed upon the BIC Class of 2021. Preserving a BIC tradition since its launch in 2013, Paul Bernabe, Ayush Kumar and Dimandja Utshudi each won The LAGRANT Foundation Scholarship. Paul Bernabe also won the 2020 DezMax Scholarship.

The BIC Class of 2021 also took home coveted awards from The ONE Club’s 2020 Young Ones Competition, winning a Gold Pencil and Bronze ADC Cube for the North Face campaign “Nature Never Judges.” Shout out to Paul Bernabe, Ping Sun, Marian Cuestas and Cynthia Rojas who created the winning campaign. Ping Sun was also a 2020 MAIP Fellow, the 4A’s highly competitive and prestigious agency fellowship.

At the graduation celebration on Friday, June 4th, congratulations were spoken in various languages as parents, family, and friends Zoomed in from Guyana, Brazil, Norway, Mexico, Ecuador, and other parts of the globe.  Surprise guest of honor,  Huge Ma, aka “Vax Daddy” and creator of TurboVax, imparted words of wisdom gleaned from his efforts to vaccinate thousands of New Yorkers. In addition to encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, his biggest piece of advice was to “be true to yourself…you never know when the spotlight will come to you and when it does, make sure you take that opportunity and use it for good.” 

Without further ado, we present to you the BIC Class of 2021… 

Watch out world, the BIC Class of 2021 are on the move and ready to make their impact on the world!!