Did you know...

That the Majority of CUNY BA Graduates Report that they Find Careers/Employment Directly Related to their Areas of Concentration? Case in Point:

April 2007

Dear CUNY BA Program:

I know you must hear this quite a bit, but I have never been happier in my life, and it is due primarily to the educational experience I was able to have through the CUNY BA program.

My degree in Sociology of Volunteerism is one of the main reasons I was able to get my new job with New York Cares. My interview for the job focused quite a bit on my degree- what I studied, why I studied it, and most importantly how this was even possible. I was proud to sing the praises of the program and describe my own fantastic experiences with it.

In my first weeks here, several people came over to ask me about my degree and tell me how wonderful it was. Again, I was all too eager to discuss the academic challenges I was lucky enough to have and the wonderful program that provided them to me. Most people here had never heard of the program. They all now not only know of it, but are sorry they didn't get their degrees through it!

My job now is directly related to what I studied, as is obvious from the job title. I am primarily responsible for managing the volunteers' records, making sure that they are able to utilize the website and sign up for what they need, as well as recommending volunteer projects to
volunteers who aren't quite sure where to begin. I have been trained to teach the volunteer orientation and will be giving my first one next week.

Perhaps the most exciting part of my job is my participation in New York Cares' role in disaster relief. Along with two of my coworkers, I work with VOAD of New York City (Volunteer Organizations Active In Disaster). I am still very new to this responsibility and still have a
great deal to learn, but basically New York Cares is New York City's primary agency dealing with volunteers who look to provide aid after a disaster. As a part of this responsibility, I will be attending a conference on Disaster Response as a panelist representing New York Cares. I still have a great deal to learn about this new responsibility, but I have no doubt my experience with the CUNY BA program has prepared me well.

Thanks to you, and all the staff for the CUNY BA program, I am working in a field that I studied specifically, and in a career that I love. I'm doing exactly what I want to do, and CUNY BA made it possible. Thank you!

Jaime Denniston-Merced
Manager of Volunteer Relations