Brooklyn College is proud to announce that Damien Niesewand will serve as Salutatorian for the Class of 2025 A transfer student from Kingsborough Community College, Niesewand’s tenure as a work-study student at the Women’s Center has made their face a familiar one to many of their fellow students—not only when they are at the center, but also when volunteering to assist with events run by student organizations and the Wolfe Institute for the Humanities. Niesewand has made numerous contributions to student publications, including pieces in Stuck in the Library and The Junction, the annual literary magazine of the Riverrun Club—of which they were treasurer. Through their internship with the English Department, Niesewand has written weekly pieces for The Junction Journal. When not on campus, Niesewand can be found working at a second job as a childcare provider and writing poetry. Niesewand spent their first year at Brooklyn College as an intern at a crisis hotline for marginalized people—an internship made possible, in part, by a Magner Career Center internship stipend. Niesewand’s will continue to volunteer as a crisis responder. In fall 2025, Niesewand will be returning to Brooklyn College to work towards receiving a master’s degree in mental health counseling. Niesewand plans to become a therapist who specializes in providing affirming and trauma-informed care for LGBTQ+ clientele.They are motivated by a deep belief that we all have an obligation to leave the world a kinder, safer place than we entered it.
