10 Years of CUNY Tech Prep

In 2015, Dr. Ted Brown, long time professor at Queens College, had noticed a problem: not enough of his Computer Science students were graduating with a substantial technical project on their resumes, one built with industry-informed practices that could help them land a job. He envisioned creating a cross-campus program for Computer Science and related majors that could help solve this problem. Thanks to the support of the Tech Talent Pipeline and Ted’s vision, CUNY Tech Prep (CTP) was born.

Fast forward to 2024, and CUNY Tech Prep is preparing for its tenth school year of supporting fellows, at no cost to students, across the 11 senior CUNY colleges. We have served over 1,000 fellows and have evolved to be more than just a place to build projects. Our program has expanded to include:

1. Two technical tracks, in web development and data science, both still centered on building a project from ideation to deployment for fellows’ resumes;
2. A career coach team who provides critical professional development training, from tech-specific resume reviews to interview and negotiation support, to help fellows communicate their skills to employers;
3. Mentorship and networking opportunities such as mock technical interviews, workshops led by industry leaders, an annual hackathon, and an alumni mentorship program.

We have an incredible team at CTP who is committed to the success of our fellows, including: Lead Instructor Dr. Edgardo Molina , who has led the technical team from day one and has designed the curriculum and its evolution each year, to Emily C. , Career Coach Manager and Alumni Career Coach who has led the growth and development of our professional development curriculum and career coaching team; and ???? Mauro Gomez Gomez, Business Development Manager who has harnessed a growing list of industry partners to invest in our CUNY talent.

My gratitude goes to them along with the entire team who has made our fellow’s success possible, including Data Science Instructor, Zack DeSario , Career Coach and CUNY Engagement Manager, Lucy Samuels , Career Coach and Alumni Engagement Manager, Selene (Silin) Shen , Career Coach and Social Media Manager, Iyeshia Redrick, MSW and Community Managers, Julissa Napoletano , and Silu Hu, and Administrative Support Specialist, Sophie Wu.

Thanks to the team’s efforts and our entire community of supporters, CTP alumni have landed roles in tech sooner after graduation and at higher rates than if they had not completed the program , and at similar rates to graduates at leading bootcamps and private universities :

• 66% of Cohort 1-7 fellows were employed 6 months after CTP graduation
• The average salary in Cohort 7 was $85,062
• Alum are working as Software Engineers, Data Analysts, and Product Managers at companies like American Express, Google, MTA, JPMC, Amazon, Bloomberg, NASA, NYC Department of Education, Healthfirst, Rent the Runway, and IBM

Our fellows’ success is not only a reflection of our programming; it is due to their collective passion, commitment, and persistence in the face of challenging job markets, and balancing school work with employment and family responsibilities on top of our program. They are each to be commended for their curiosity and willingness to keep learning, leading them to roles that help improve their lives and that of their loved ones.

Perhaps more important than the technical and professional skills CUNY Tech Prep has passed down to fellows over the years and the roles they have landed is the community we have grown together. Our staff, those working full time along with the many part-time TAs, instructors, and volunteers who have joined us over the years (there are too many of y’all to name, but you know who you are! Special shout out to our alumni who have come back in these capacities), are all invested in not just the career success of our fellows, but in their development and value as human beings. Our fellows work on projects collaboratively, creating teams and friendships across campuses which may not have formed otherwise. We have organized almost two dozen demo nights where we come together in community with fellows, alumni, and those who support us to celebrate our fellows’ growth and provide feedback on how they can continue to evolve. We have strived to create an environment where students know they are valued as whole people, and do not have to go at the next steps of their journeys alone. I am proud of CTP because of this: the work we do to support one another.

CTP was recently highlighted by Center for an Urban Future as “a key program with remarkable success…helping CUNY graduates break into [tech]" - and we want to continue that work with your help. We are ~$1K away from reaching our fundraising goals for our tenth cohort, where we will continue to build our CTP community. Please consider giving in celebration of these 10 years! You can give here: https://givebutter.com/CTP2023

Thank you again to all of the fellows, alumni, industry and CUNY partners, the CTP Advisory Board, our managers and supporters at the Tech Talent Pipeline (special shout out to Karl Laraque and Hessvacio Hassan ), and the CTP team for everything. Here’s to another 10 years!

- Jackie Bellando , Program Director @ CUNY Tech Prep