Comptroller Stringer and City University of New York Announce New, Paid Fellowship Program to Build Pipeline of Future Civic Leaders

(New York, NY) — Today, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer and City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez announced a new fellowship program between CUNY and the Office of the New York City Comptroller to create career opportunities for the next generation of New York City leaders. A talented cohort of twenty recent CUNY graduates have been selected to participate in a six-month, paid fellowship program at various bureaus of the Office of the New York City Comptroller beginning on October 5, 2020 and concluding on April 1, 2021, during which fellows will gain hands-on knowledge and experience in core government functions — including law, policy, contracts, auditing, engineering, accountancy, asset management, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and communications. Amid the current economic crisis and rising unemployment that has disproportionately affected communities of color and young people, Comptroller Stringer sought to create a new pathway to employment for young graduates to immediately enter the job market, learn critical skills, and build their professional networks. With unemployment in New York City at 16 percent, this new fellowship program will be an immediate bridge between college graduation and full-time employment opportunities.

The Comptroller’s Fellows will be paid on an hourly basis at a rate of $21 an hour for up to 28 hours a week. The diverse group of graduates have all recently completed their studies at either Brooklyn College, Baruch College, City College, Hunter College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College, or Queens College, bringing with them skills in political science, philosophy, public policy, ethnic and religious studies, mechanical engineering, finance, management, sociology, communications, criminal justice, accounting, economics, and computer information systems. The fellowship will include robust training and educational opportunities such as skill-building workshops, meetings with civic leaders, and content-based presentations on various aspects of City government. The presentations will also be offered to the broader CUNY community so that students and alumni can benefit from the educational components of the program.

“Our young people are our future. We always need a strong bench of driven, talented civic leaders ready to step up and shape the city of tomorrow — and it’s our responsibility to create pathways of opportunity for the next generation,” said Comptroller Stringer. “That’s why I am proud to launch the first-ever fellowship program with the City University of New York at the Office of the Comptroller, so young people can attain first-hand knowledge and experience in public service and use these skills to push our city forward. I know this passionate cohort of fellows will be an invaluable asset to our city, and that this program will be a stepping stone for a lifetime of civic engagement. I want to express my deepest gratitude to CUNY for understanding the importance of hands-on learning and career development and for partnering with us on this exciting initiative.”

“The City University of New York stands ready to help chart a course for a brighter and more inclusive future for all New Yorkers, regardless of income or zip code, and fulfill its role as an integral institution at the service of the state and city we proudly call home,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Thanks to Comptroller Scott Stringer, these 20 CUNY students, whose academic interest range from the social sciences to the humanities to computer science and economics, will embark on six-month paid fellowships, and in the process gain invaluable hands-on experience utilizing their skills in vital public sector offices, while laying the groundwork for a career of service.”

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students of all ages and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.

The fellows will constitute a critical component of various functions of the Comptroller’s Office including the Office of the General Counsel, Contract Administration, Audit, Engineering, Accountancy, Asset Management, Diversity, Policy, Law and Adjustment, and Communications.

The following is a list of all the fellowship participants and their respective bureaus:

Amina Stone-Taylor – Bureau of Law and Adjustment
Philosophy, Brooklyn College 

Minh Nguyen – Bureau of Law and Adjustment
Political Science, City College  

Jessica Rosenthal – Bureau of Law and Adjustment
Political Science and Public Policy, Hunter College 

Jacqueline Aguilar – Office of the General Counsel
Latin American and Latinx Studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice 

Kavon Lee – Office of Diversity Initiatives
Political Science, John Jay College of Criminal Justice 

Mahnoor Azim – Bureau of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering, City College  

Reema Doleh – Bureau of Asset Management
Finance, Baruch College 

Zoya Ali – Bureau of Audit
Management, Brooklyn College 

Julissa Valerio – Bureau of Contract Administration
Sociology, Hunter College 

Jose Suarez – Press Office
Communications, Hunter College 

Allison Stillerman – Bureau of Public Policy
History, Political Science, Public Policy, Hunter College 

Steffi Milfort – Bureau of Public Policy
Psychology and Sociology, Hunter College 

Uche Oluonye– Bureau of Law and Adjustment
Criminal Justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice  

Giovanne Quezada – Bureau of Accountancy
Accounting, Lehman College 

Daliza Peralta – Bureau of Administration
Management, Baruch College 

Ian Kessler – Bureau of Asset Management
Economics, Political Science, Baruch College 

Shanequa Gowins – Bureau of Audit
Computer Information Systems/Science, Computer Science, John Jay College of Criminal Justice 

Taalat Ahmed – Bureau of Contract Administration
Economics, Baruch College  

Mohammed Hashif – Bureau of Asset Management
Finance, Baruch College 

Sumaiya Jamal – Bureau of Asset Management
Accounting, Queens College 

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