TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ibrahim Xavier Johnson, CUNY alumnus and veteran, on his experience at Lehman College
1:45:20
·
120 sec
Ibrahim Xavier Johnson, a graduate of Lehman College and army veteran, shares his positive experience as a transfer student at CUNY. He emphasizes the commitment and support he received from advisers and professors at Lehman College, which helped him complete his bachelor's degree despite previous academic challenges.
- Johnson highlights the comprehensive support system at Lehman College, including academic, personal, and family-related assistance.
- He suggests that the Lehman College model of support for transfer students should be implemented CUNY-wide.
- Johnson's testimony underscores the importance of dedicated staff and a supportive environment in ensuring student success, particularly for non-traditional students.
Ibrahim Xavier Johnson
1:45:20
My name is Ibrahim Xavier Johnson.
1:45:22
I'm a graduate of Lehman College in the Bronx.
1:45:26
I transferred to Lehman fresh from the army.
1:45:29
I was an active duty army prior to enrolling in CUNY.
1:45:34
I had an AA degree.
1:45:35
I dropped out of several colleges.
1:45:37
I had difficulties in life.
1:45:39
But after joining the army, I was determined to finish.
1:45:42
The advisers at Lehman College looked at my 143 credits with no bachelor's degree, and they were committed to me finishing a bachelor's degree at CUNY.
1:45:52
They said and they told me, in the beginning, you will finish with us.
1:45:56
It was rigorous, it was difficult, but the same discipline that I had in the army, I experienced the same rigorous academic training at Lehman College.
1:46:05
The professors were committed to my success.
1:46:08
I went to Lehman during 911.
1:46:10
That was a critical period.
1:46:12
A lot of people were dropping out because of what happened during 911.
1:46:16
The professors at CUNY met with all of us and told us the show must go on.
1:46:21
You will finish terrorist attack or not.
1:46:23
We're gonna finish.
1:46:24
And we finished, I graduated with 3.7 degree, 3.7 GPA, honors in the history department, went on to make a whole bunch of money, and I'm a CUNY success story.
1:46:36
And I I wanna say this about advisement.
1:46:39
The advisors at CUNY were not just the academic advisers.
1:46:43
They were the department chairs.
1:46:45
They were the professors.
1:46:47
They didn't just advise us about academics.
1:46:49
They advised us to our life problem.
1:46:52
I talked to my professors about marital issues.
1:46:55
Anything that would stop us from academics, they were there, to support us.
1:46:59
And it became like an extension of my own family.
1:47:01
After graduating from CUNY, I go back to Lehman College.
1:47:05
I bring my children there.
1:47:06
I meet some of my old professors.
1:47:08
And I think success for transfer students depends on the commitment from the staff, and that commitment is what I experienced at Lehman College.
1:47:16
If you can reproduce Lehman College and make it CUNY Wide, I think that's the model.