MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

At the Colin Powell School, our commitment is that every graduate will leave campus with the knowledge, tools, and resources to be successful professionals, ready to make a positive difference in the world through service and leadership.

DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,

I am pleased to present this annual report on the activities of the Colin Powell School. It has been an important year in our School’s growth and development.

Seven years ago, we brought the social science units at CCNY together with the College’s public service and leadership development programs to create a new school founded on the same premise as City College of New York: the simple but powerful idea that everyone in this nation—people from all backgrounds— deserves access to a high quality and affordable college education. At the Colin Powell School, our commitment is that every graduate will leave campus with the knowledge, tools, and resources to be successful professionals, ready to make a positive difference in the world through service and leadership.

I am proud that we are fulfilling this commitment. This past year, the Colin Powell School graduated the most students of any division at CCNY—almost 1,000, in total. Our graduates enter the workforce equipped to create new opportunities for themselves and their families. Almost two-thirds of our students are the first in their families to receive a college education. More than half are immigrants; 80 percent are students of color. By succeeding, our students put themselves and their families on a new path toward achieving a better quality of life. At the same time, they change our society for the better.

Today, the Colin Powell School does for our graduates all that CCNY did for me more than sixty years ago. We open them to the world of professional possibilities, and we prepare them to be global leaders. We know that our city and our nation are better for their service. We could not do this work without the engagement of an outstanding faculty and staff and without the commitment of many friends who generously provide advice, mentoring, and financial support. Thank you for being a part of the Colin Powell School’s success.

Our Board of Visitors continues to provide essential guidance. I am grateful for all that it does, and I am pleased to welcome Cesar Conde as the Board’s newest member. Cesar is Chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. We came to know each other well when he served as a White House Fellow. Cesar cares deeply about the Colin Powell School’s mission, and he is already engaging with our students.

In February, the School welcomed a new dean, Andrew Rich. Andy worked closely with me on the first initiatives of the Colin Powell Center fifteen years ago. He knows the Colin Powell School and CCNY well, and he is committed to our students, faculty, staff, and programs. We are fortunate to have him back to lead the School.

I am pleased with our progress over the past year, and I look ahead with optimism. I hope that the accomplishments described in this year’s annual report will inspire you to find new ways to support the continued success of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.

Sincerely,

GENERAL COLIN L. POWELL, USA (Ret.) Chair of the Board of Visitors Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership