On May 8, the Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO) hosted the seventh annual Immigrant Student Recognition Ceremony in the Student Center, bringing together more than 100 students, staff, faculty, alumni, families, and community partners to celebrate the resilience, leadership, and accomplishments of Brooklyn College’s immigrant student community. The evening centered joy, belonging, and recognition as essential parts of the student experience.
The ceremony opened with a steel pan performance by Haikeda Hilliman, a graduating B.F.A. student, educator, and Guyanese-born tenor pan player whose artistry and connection to Caribbean storytelling set the tone for the evening. Later performances by Carlos Sacalxot, a premed sophomore and classical guitarist from Guatemala, and Samuel Rodríguez Sandoval, a violinist and composer from the Conservatory of Music, transformed the event into more than a ceremony. It became a gathering rooted in culture, migration, memory, and hope.
Jesús Pérez ’95, founding director of ISSO, served as master of ceremonies, welcoming the attendees to what he described as a celebration grounded in dignity and community. He also recognized the leadership of Leslie Ramírez Carbajal, ISSO program coordinator, along with the BC Dream Team, the Haitian Student Association, the Mexican Heritage Student Association, and the ISSO staff for helping bring the event to life.
“Tonight is not just a recognition. It is a declaration,” said Pérez. “Our immigrant students do not exist at the margins of Brooklyn College. They are part of its heart, its future, and its story.”
Distinguished guests included Vice President for Student Affairs Yasmin Ali and Assistant Dean for Student Life and Ombudsperson Moraima Smith, whose presence reflected the college’s growing commitment to supporting immigrant students and their families. Faculty members Assistant Professor Lawrence Johnson of the Sociology Department and Associate Professor Frans Albrillo of the Brooklyn College Library also attended, underscoring ISSO’s strong partnerships across campus.
One of the evening’s most meaningful moments honored Professor Mona Hadler and Professor Julia Cocuzza from the Art Department for their collaboration on the immigrant student mural in the ISSO space, now a powerful symbol of belonging, cultural identity, and collective pride at Brooklyn College.
The ceremony also recognized longtime Mexican American community advocate Jaime Lucero for his continued investment in creating leadership, educational, and professional opportunities for immigrant students throughout the Northeast.
Student organizations including the BC Dream Team, Haitian Student Association, and Mexican Heritage Student Association addressed the audience and honored peers who made lasting contributions to their communities during the academic year, reflecting the solidarity and care that define immigrant student life at Brooklyn College.
The evening’s most powerful moments came through the voices of graduating students.
Uthman Okunola, a Federman Fellow graduating in information systems, shared his journey from Nigeria to New York City and reflected on discovering his immigration status while graduating near the top of his high school class. Though uncertainty delayed his college journey, he eventually found his way to Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY), then Brooklyn College, and ultimately the graduation stage.
“Resilience is not only about surviving difficult moments,” Okunola said. “It is about continuing forward with the understanding that our backgrounds are not limitations. They are part of our strength.”
Okunola also highlighted student-led efforts to create technology and peer-driven resources that support future immigrant students, reminding the audience that immigrant students are not only navigating systems, but transforming them.
Ksenia “Roma” Yermakova, a December graduate from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, reflected on arriving in Brooklyn at age 11 with limited English and navigating college in isolation before finding community through ISSO during her final semester. She credited Ramírez Carbajal, the Federman Fellows, and the Magner Career Center with helping her secure a full-time position before graduation.
“I truly believe in the idea that there are no flowers without rain,” Yermakova said. “What I have learned here is that we do not face life’s challenges alone.”
Her remarks captured the experiences of a generation shaped by the pandemic, social isolation, and the ongoing fight to be recognized and celebrated within higher education.
The evening concluded with a stole and pinning ceremony led by Federman Fellows Rebeka Lakatos, Celso Gonzalez, Maria De La Cruz, Axel Mejia, and Uthman Okunola. ISSO itself stands as a lasting testament to the vision and generosity of Irwin Federman ’56 and Concepción Federman, whose philanthropic support helped launch ISSO in 2019 and make this community of care and recognition possible. Their commitment to expanding opportunity for immigrant students at Brooklyn College continues to resonate in moments like this ceremony where stories of perseverance are not only shared, but honored and transformed into collective pride.
