Westchester Community College Awarded Largest Grant in Its History

Yonkers, NY-based undergraduate student Michael “Mike” Paulercio enrolled in State University of New York‘s Westchester Community College in 2016 to pursue a degree in physical education. During his time at WCC, Mike Paulercio has been an active and successful student who served as a peer mentor to first-year students and made the Dean’s List in 2017.

In October 2018, WCC received a multimillion dollar federal grant, the largest in the school’s history. The U.S. Department of Education's Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) program bestowed a five-year grant totaling $2.7 million to support the operation and expansion of Westchester’s Caminos al Exito (Pathways to Success) program, which is geared toward supporting at-risk Hispanic students. Between 2010 and 2015, Westchester’s Hispanic student population grew by more than 30 percent, which qualifies the school as a Hispanic-Serving Institution..

A portion of the grant will fund the creation of the Office of First Year Students, which will aim to reduce attrition rates and help students define an attainable career path earlier in their college experience. Funding will also be used to modernize school-wide technology systems and improve student access to advising and mentoring.

United Nations' World Autism Awareness Day

Michael (Mike) Paulercio of Yonkers, NY, is on track to receive an associate's degree in physical education at the end of 2018. Before enrolling in a New York State community college, Mike Paulercio gained hands-on experience doing volunteer work with young people with autism.

Since 2008, the United Nations has recognized April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. Proposed by a Qatari representative, the special day promotes the discussion of autism research and the support and well-being of autistic people throughout the member countries. 

Each year, the UN focuses on a theme or area that impacts individuals with autism. In the past, Awareness Days have focused on employment, education, self-empowerment, and gender-specific challenges faced by girls and women diagnosed with autism. At UN headquarters on World Autism Awareness Day, the secretary general customarily speaks before the UN body and outlines how UN policy will consider and empower people with developmental disabilities.