2 in 3 attend tuition-free.
3 in 4 graduate debt-free.
Fulfill your dreams and reach your goals.
Suenos Empiezan Aqui!-Dreams Begin Here
Suenos Empiezan Aqui
KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
KCC LatinX Support Staff
“Kingsborough was the best school for me.”
Born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, Nancy Lee Sánchez started her educational journey at Kingsborough Community College as an ESL learner. For Sánchez, Kingsborough understood that to keep her in classes, pursuing a degree, and ready to transfer or begin a career, she needed to be engaged outside of the classroom in wraparound services to meet her needs and help her succeed.
Her advisor directed her to the writing center for free tutoring, the math lab to improve her algebra skills, the library resource center to learn vital programs like MS Word and Excel, and to the nurse and gym for wellness services. Sánchez became fully engaged as a member of the KCC community, and earned her associate degree in early childhood education.
After graduation, she worked as an academic advisor at Kingsborough, and gained a professional understanding of providing equity to students in and out of the classroom to ensure student success.
Sánchez went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in education from Long Island University, a master’s in sociology from Brooklyn College, completed an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation at New York University.
Her unique experience as a community college graduate has benefitted generations of community college students—including KCC students—through her work as executive director of the Kaplan Educational Foundation, where she serves as a strategic partner and advisor to the Kaplan Educational Foundation Board of Directors, and manages the Kaplan Leadership Program’s rigorous recruitment, academic, advisement, leadership and scholarship components.
She is one of the leading voices on community college to four-year transfer, and under Sánchez’s leadership, Kaplan Leadership Scholars boast an 88% associate degree completion rate, a 93% transfer rate, and an 87% bachelor’s degree completion rate.
In addition to serving as a selection judge for the multiple scholarships hosted by organizations like the Dell Scholars Foundation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Coca-Cola Scholars through Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, she also serves as a regular contributor to Forbes, and is a frequent media spokesperson on issues around degree attainment gaps.
In 2020, Sánchez was named the newest trustee of the Kingsborough Community College Foundation Board, bringing her journey at the College full circle, and amplifying that her dreams began and continue at Kingsborough Community College.
CUNY es Familia
Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez is the first Latino and person of color to lead our University.
He started as a CUNY professor and director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies
before serving as president of both a two-year and a four-year college at CUNY. As Chancellor, he has made CUNY’s leadership more diverse to reflect our student body
while increasing professional opportunities for students and alumni.
We help students who need to improve their academic English skills before taking college
classes with the CUNY Language Immersion Program. Program participants develop strong
bonds and support networks to help them start their CUNY journey.
We keep community college students on track to graduate by providing extra supports, including MTA MetroCards, extra advising, career counseling, tutoring, waivers for fees, and additional financial assistance. CUNY ASAP has greatly improved graduation rates and is being copied across the country.
We offer free immigration legal services to anyone who needs it, including CUNY students
and their families who are on the path to citizenship. These confidential services
have already helped over 373,000 families get the legal help they need.
Our many career success initiatives can help you get hired at an internship or job. Our various programs and initiatives
help students develop new skills, network with professionals, and learn how to be
a competitive job applicant. In addition to the dedicated career services team at
each college, CUNY’s many partnerships with NYC’s top employers can help give students
a boost in the application process.
We welcome all students who seek an affordable, high quality education by transferring
to CUNY. Our transfer-friendly policies can support you in your transition while students
transferring within CUNY can be assured that their credits will transfer between our
colleges.
As careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics continue to be vitally
important and in high demand, we offer programs and resources that serve as a pipeline
to the field for underrepresented students, including some offered to students before
college.
An associate degree at our two-year colleges opens doors to high-paying careers at the greatest value per course credit. Our two-year
colleges also provide a lot of flexibility for students restarting their education,
who may need remedial classes, or who need extra support on their path to graduation.
They are also a great starting point for a bachelor’s degree with many two-year students
easily transferring to a four-year CUNY college.
CUNY has a long tradition of amplifying student voices. By participating in student
government, our students gain valuable leadership experience while actively working
to improve student life at their college. In addition to providing a strong sense
of community for participating students, many of these student government opportunities
are paid. Our incredible student leaders often go on to public service and even elected
office.
CUNY students have access to thousands of life-changing scholarships, including exclusive
opportunities for students at each CUNY college. CUNY has provided thousands of students
with paid fellowship opportunities through special student corps programs which provide
paid professional experience and ongoing support. Additionally, dedicated staff at
every CUNY college can help students find a scholarship or fellowship that’s right
for them.
We stand with undocumented students, DREAMers, and TPS recipients on their path to
obtaining a college degree. With “Immigration Success Liaisons” helping students at
each college navigate CUNY, and our Undocumented Student Supports Page, we provide resources for all students, ensuring that the University is a safe space
for the immigrant families who are the lifeblood of New York. 
Your Future is Waiting