We're Number 5 -- A Big BIC Bravo to the Class of 2019
This Spring, BIC graduated its 5th cohort, the Class of 2019. Thirty-three students. One singularly sensational class. From India to Georgia. From Brooklyn to the Bronx. Each with a signature giggle, grimace, or grin. With college degrees as varied as electrical engineering, law, theater, comparative literature, interior design, and African-American studies, they’ve parleyed their BIC expertise into professional positions at places like Google, Catch, Grey, Weber Shandwick, Essence, Universal McCann, and Canvas Blue.
In the past 24 months, their multi-cultural and cross-disciplinary talents have yielded One Show Merits and Client Pitches, five The LAGRANT Foundation scholarships, two Marcus Graham Project fellowships, Grad Symposium First Place Prizes, CMYK Top 100 Creatives honors, a DezMax scholarship, and a Re:Frame fellowship. We celebrated the Class of 2019 not just as graduates of the BIC program, but as visionaries who will lead us into the future with integrity, nimble minds, grit, lots of heart, and good humor.
In the past two years that started at Orientation on August 22, 2017, BIC's 5th cohort learned how to code in a day, make a social impact for Harlem Grown, and helped Sandy Hook Promise engage high schoolers in order to reduce gun violence. This Spring, they created a sweet spot for Bailey’s Almande by living in the NOW and making it by me. They presented like pros at the Diageo Client Pitch -- strategically, persuasively, theatrically. And then when it was over, we all said: Ahhhhhhhhh!
At the graduation celebration on Wednesday, May 29th, the following students were acknowledged for receiving the highest track scores at Tuesday's Portfolio Defense:
Emily Herrera in the Creative Track, with a 7.62 out of 9
Nai Chen Liu in the Management/Planning Track, with an 8.00 out of 9
Matt Hamilton in the Public Relations Track, with an 8.875 out of 9
The following students received certificates for the highest GPAs:
Katie Kistner O’Neal had a 3.85 out of 4.00
Clarissa Moses had a 3.87 out of 4.00
Matt Hamilton had the highest GPA of 3.975 out of 4.00
At our graduation celebration, BIC Program Director Nancy R. Tag acknowledged the Class of 2019's tenacity, deep conviction, bravery, and good-heartedness by reading from Kent Keith’s The Paradoxial Commandments.
"People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway."
Onward, BIC Class of 2019.
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