A new year, a new class of BICsters ready to make their mark and change the world! Our Class of 2023 arrived on the City College campus for BIC’s Welcome Lunch and Orientation on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. Greeted by blue skies and open windows, the day was filled with curricular activities, advising, and tips on networking. It ended later that evening at the Baylander, a floating bar on the Hudson, as our latest incoming class was joined by the outgoing Class of 2022 to kick off the Fall semester. While orientation is always special, this year was especially poignant since it was the first time BICsters and faculty had been back together on campus since March 2020. 

The BIC Class of 2023 has a unique mix of 25 students who come from far and wide, including Venezuela, Peru and Nigeria. But this year, New Yorkers dominate with many BICsters who call NYC home. 

The incoming class brings a wide range of undergraduate experiences from illustrious institutions such as Cornell University, Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, New York University, Drexel, University of Colorado, Pace, VCU and from colleges within the CUNY system like Hunter, City College and City Tech. International degrees come from universities further afield like the Andres Bello Catholic University (Venezuela) and Universidad Privada de Ciencias Aplicadas (Peru).

Since integration is the future, this year's BICsters are a curious and collaborative bunch who’ve acquired bachelor’s degrees in academic areas such as: English, Psychology, Nursing, Nutrition & Food Science, Communication & Advertising, Digital Arts, and Speech Communication. 

Orientation kicked off with a welcome from BIC Program Director Nancy R. Tag who gave an overview of the program. Program Manager Marlene Leo, Creative Track Advisor and Professor Gerardo Blumenkrantz, and Non-Profit Capstone Professor Katina Scott took students through some administrative details as well as the more overarching rewards of earning a Master of Professional Studies degree.

During the jam-packed day, new BICsters also had a chance to quiz our BIC Alumni Ambassadors and rockstars Javier Garcia ’15 and Andy Kwan ’16 in an “Ask Me Anything” style session.

One of the day’s highlights was the annual Design Thinking exercise. In keeping with the reopening protocols of the college, this year’s exercise teamed up BICsters and tasked them with prototyping a mask for each other. They then introduced their partners to the rest of the class through their unique designs. To wrap up the day, Rebecca Rivera, BIC Class of 2019, presented tips on professional networking that students could not only use when meeting new BICsters at the Baylander later that evening, but at the many conferences and networking events that BICsters will attend throughout their time in the program. 

We’re so excited to welcome our new BICsters and can’t wait to see what you do as you embark on your new journey!!