By Angelina Sitara Iadanza. “It’s not how you start that’s important, but how well you finish,” Jim George once stated. Students graduating in May 2025 have come a long way throughout their journeys at Queensborough. Attending college is not always an easy challenge, yet students can benefit so much from doing so.

Graduation Rates & Requirements

Of the seven community colleges in the CUNY system Queensborough has one of the highest graduation rates with about 30% of students graduating, whereas the Borough of Manhattan Community College has a graduation rate of 28%, and approximately 26% of students graduate from LaGuardia Community College. Out of all the students at QCC, about 63% of graduates were full-time students.

It is required that all students receive 60 credits no matter what courses they take for their specific majors and have at least a GPA of 2.0 to graduate.

Graduates Express Pride in Overcoming Challenges

Students expressed a wide range of emotions about how they feel about graduating from Queensborough Community College. Ryan Magro, whose major is medieval history but plans to pursue business,feels relieved for many reasons.

“I’m completing a major milestone because I’m getting my associate’s degree and I’ll be moving on to get my bachelor’s. My major right now is liberal arts, but when I go for my bachelor’s, I will switch to business,” says Ryan.

Mia Graybow, another graduating student who was majoring in business but then switched to science major, has similar feelings of relief. “Two years ago, I didn’t think that I would be graduating from college, and I never thought that I would be graduating from Queensborough Community College,” she says.

Feng Xin, a criminal justice major, has looked forward to graduation for a very long time. Before graduating, his father did not believe in him, and it motivated him to keep working toward graduation.

“I never thought that I was graduating due to my beliefs that I didn’t think about college at a young age, but the idea and concept and achievement of graduation is something that holds close to me. Growing up my father had always said that he never saw effort in me; it made me feel like I couldn’t accomplish anything that I could.”

Adriana Gonzalez, who is majoring in astronomical science, feels super confident to graduate from Queensborough. “My semester is coming to an end, and I’m going to go get a job for this year; hopefully I apply to become a barista at Starbucks on Springfield Blvd in Bayside.”

According to data from the niche website on job placement, about 86% of graduates applied for a job within two years, while 84% of graduates applied for a job within six years.

Simridhi “Simmi” Sharma, who is majoring in Internet and IT is a little nervous about graduating. “I feel like I’m finally graduating from something because I graduated from high school during the covid pandemic in 2020, so I haven’t had the whole real experience of what graduation feels like. But I’m excited to walk the stage, and I want to have a cute little outfit under my cap and gown.”

Every student graduating in the Class of 2025 has had their own struggles, but have found ways to overcome them. 

Ryan was struggling with writing assignments for his history classes, and he would need tutoring to guide him through those assignments. “Struggling with writing intensive courses is why I want to switch my history major to a business major since it’s more laid back in math. I feel that I do better in math than I do in reading and writing.” 

Mia Graybow had a difficult time finding resources that the QCC provided for all students in case of assistance. “I wasn’t sure how college worked, and I wasn’t sure what QCC had to provide to students.” As Graybow continued her journey at QCC, she was able to figure things out and get the hang of being in college. She was able to use the tutoring center to help her with her assignments. “A tutoring center’s a perfect resource for me when I needed help with my math and reading assignments.”

Students don’t just struggle academically at college; they also tend to not socialize with other people due to anxiety. For instance, Feng Xin struggled to interact with the people around him and experienced a similar struggle like Mia. “The transition from high school to college was a huge step for me. And during my freshman year, I felt uncomfortable adapting to the new environment. I wasn’t sure what to expect, where to go, or what to even expect from what my experience at college would be.”

Adriana was struggling with her exams because she couldn’t use enough time to practice for her exams. “Taking my time to practice what I have learned in my classes to help me prepare for exams was one of my major struggles I encountered.” Adriana learned from that experience to keep practicing before the exams began because practice makes perfect.

Like Feng Xin, Simmi also struggled with adapting to a new environment at college. ”Getting back into a community where many people are just out of high school feels kind of weird because it made me realize that I would be surrounded by adults.” Starting college after high school can be a challenge because unlike high school, the coursework at college is very heavy, and it can be uncomfortable for students who have experienced anxiety in the past.

QCC Students’s Growth and Accomplishments

Despite these kinds of struggles they have encountered throughout their time at QCC, students also have had accomplishments that they’re extremely proud of. For instance, Ryan has been on time with all of his assignments.

“I have known to have perfect punctuality and learning skills that I have never learned before. I have gotten better at time management.” Time management is a crucial skill all students need to have to reduce stress from needing to complete all their assignments and manage their breaks from schoolwork. Time management is all about balancing school and life.

Mia accomplished in earning a great GPA because she did not have a strong start to college.

“I had a very low GPA when I started college, and I was able to boost my GPA one year later.” She improved herself with resources available at Queensborough Community College. She also earned a Dean’s List award for the Fall 2025 Semester. Feng Xin made similar improvements within his experience at Queensborough Community College.

“I have made a lot of friends left and right who have become my family in an orthodox way. I took advantage of the resources provided for me such as the OAS who has been there for me since day one,” says Feng Xin.

Adriana accomplished in using her speech skills and mental health skills to receive counseling and tutoring to build confidence and motivate herself through her challenges. “I used the library to help me keep up with my schoolwork and studying.”

Simmi is proud of herself for going to college with a different experience and maintaining focus on her education. “I’m the first-generation student in my family to graduate from college.” According to QCC statistics, over 40% of our college students are first-generation students.

How Clubs & Programs Have Supported Graduates

There are many clubs held at Queensborough Community College such as the Gaming Club, CCSD Club, Psychology Club, and more, which meet on Wednesdays from 12-2P.M. There are also a variety of programs held at QCC, such as ASAP, dual/joint programs (i.e., education program within QCC and Queens College for education majors), transfer programs, and the Male Resource Center).

“I also joined a club which involves working with a city by helping the system”, said Ryan

Ryan stopped joining the club due to course overload within his classes. “It was time-consuming within my assignments that I had to complete.”

Mia worked as a peer mentor in the library on the third floor, whereas some students do not join any clubs or programs at QCC, because as Adriana said, “I wanted to focus on my academics at college.”

Feng Xin was once a part of the Asian American club and also a part of the Gospel Club from time to time, but stopped attending. “I was part of the ASAP program originally, but I stopped due to the lack of impression I gave and my struggles with certain topics and courses, so they let me go.”

When accepted at Queensborough Community College, Simmi was immediately enrolled in the ASAP program, and she was the president of the Spring 24’ for the Tech and Gaming Club as well as a part of the Student and Government Association on campus. She discusses the benefits of those clubs including building networking connections, having fun, and reducing stress from classes.

What Advice would Graduates give to Students Who Want to Start a Journey at Queensborough Community College?

Students who are currently eligible for graduation in May 2025 have learned so much from their experiences, and they have provided advice for future students who are looking to start fresh at Queensborough Community College. In addition, advising future students teaches them not to make the same mistakes that these graduates made throughout their time at QCC.

“Whatever you can do, you can achieve it,” Ryan Magro advises. Ryan believes in everyone to keep their dreams alive and not let any distractions get in their way of success.

Mia Graybow encourages future students about motivation at QCC. “I will tell them to never stop trying and to stay motivated because it’s easy to be unmotivated to do anything, so just keep on track and do your work.”

Feng Xin suggests future students be mindful of resources available to them when they arrive at QCC. “Take advantae of every resource available, including your social circle. When you have a social circle, you learn from other people, you get others’ perspectives, and it gives you a sense of belonging. At the end of the day, it’s not about work.”

Adriana alerts future students about what it feels like to transition from high school to college. “You’re graduating from high school and you’re going to college. You’ll achieve many things and build up your future.” Future students need to understand that they’ll encounter challenges coming their way, so they have to just attempt at them without giving up.

Simmi gave similar advice to future students that they come to college out of high school to ramp up their education and to make new friends. “You’re coming to college to put in a lot of effort in your education, but don’t spend 24/7 studying and completing schoolwork. You got to have fun or else you won’t understand what it’s like to connect with other people in clubs and other events, especially at the Student Union Building, where many students hang out and play video games, have lunch together, and socialize with one another.”

Graduation is the biggest celebration at QCC to celebrate milestones, as well as accomplishments they made throughout their journey at QCC.