Brooklyn College celebrated SEEK Day on May 11 in the lobby of the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, concluding a yearlong celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program across CUNY. The event brought together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community leaders to honor six decades of expanding access to higher education and supporting student success.
Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson reflected on the SEEK Program’s origins in the Civil Rights Movement and recognized the visionary leadership of Percy Ellis Sutton and Brooklyn College alumna Shirley Chisholm ’46. Established as the nation’s first state-funded higher education opportunity program, SEEK has empowered generations of underrepresented students to pursue academic achievement, leadership, and community impact.
Deputy Borough President and Reverend Kim Council (left) and Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson at SEEK Day.
President Anderson also thanked community partners for their continued commitment to educational equity, including Deputy Borough President and Reverend Kim Council, who attended the event. Deputy Borough President Council highlighted the SEEK Program’s enduring impact on generations of students, many of whom have gone on to become leaders and active contributors in their communities.
Randall Clarke, director of the Brooklyn College SEEK Program addresses attendees at SEEK Day.
Randall Clarke, director of the Brooklyn College SEEK Program, highlighted the program’s ongoing commitment to student success through academic support, mentoring, counseling, financial assistance, and career guidance. He also emphasized the college’s continued investment in SEEK’s mission through initiatives such as the Innovative Career Opportunity and Research Program (ICORP), which expands research and graduate school preparation opportunities for students across disciplines.
During the celebration, SEEK staff members recognized longtime colleagues Annette Nesbit and Professor Zoya Khalfin for their decades of service to the program. Both have dedicated more than 30 years to supporting SEEK students.
SEEK Day also honored longtime colleagues Professor Zoya Khalfin (left) and Annette Nesbit for more than 30 years of dedication and service to the program and its students.
Nesbit has served Brooklyn College in several roles, including adjunct lecturer in the Mathematics Department, academic adviser for the BC Bound Program, and SEEK administrative assistant. Khalfin, a Brooklyn College SEEK alumna, has spent three decades serving students as both a professor and counselor.
The event also showcased the accomplishments and contributions of SEEK students through presentations highlighting their work in ICORP, the SEEK Club, and the SEEK Peer Mentors program.
SEEK Day concluded a series of events celebrating the nation’s first state-funded academic opportunity initiative, which has opened doors to higher education for more than 100,000 CUNY students from underrepresented communities. Since 1990, SEEK participants across CUNY have earned more than 60,000 associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Brooklyn College students were at the heart of SEEK Day.
At Brooklyn College, the SEEK Program continues to provide academic support, tutoring, counseling, financial assistance, and career guidance to help students overcome barriers and achieve their goals. During the 2025–2026 academic year, SEEK is supporting 525 students through opportunities that include study abroad programs, leadership development activities, and participation in campus expositions.
Brooklyn College recently expanded these efforts through ICORP, which offers research experience and graduate school preparation for up to 150 students annually.
The celebration concluded with a tribute to SEEK students and alumni whose resilience, determination, and achievements continue to shape the program’s legacy and inspire the Brooklyn College community.
(Left to right) The SEEK Mascot, “Brooklyn,” Deputy Borough President Kim Council, and Michael Kravets Filatov.
