For several years, the Graphic Communications Scholarship Foundation (GCSF) has provided funding that helps students of the Department of Communication Design (COMD) at New York City College of Technology in creative fields. Seven COMD and two CUNY BA students received scholarships totaling $24,000 during GCSF’s 2025 Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 30 in New York City. The COMD department also received a $5,000 grant to support student initiatives, bringing the total award to $29,000.
George Garrastegui, Jr., the department’s chair, accepted the grant and indicated it will support a new COMD yearbook which will feature graduating students’ work, events from the past academic year and student and alumni interviews. The yearbook will be used as a resource to attract new students. Garrastegui will also purchase a new vinyl cutting machine for the student printing lab to give students access to color printing and the ability to create stickers and die cutting for packaging projects, resulting in expanded hands-on production and prototyping skills.
The student scholarships were based on competitive applications which included résumés, essays and letters of recommendation. The following seven COMD students were awarded scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 each: Sebastian Chapman, Melissa Marana, Erika Maza, Nour Mohsen, Lau Nielsen, Sarah Jo Renelt and Sable Spellman. In addition, CUNY BA students Richard Nguyen and Yaritza Sencion, who completed COMD courses at City Tech also received scholarships.
Eli Neugeboren, associate professor and GCSF board member, said, “This money is transformative because COMD students, like nearly all City Tech students, usually work part or full time in addition to their studies. A downward trend in their income or increase in what they have to pay for school and supplies will be a hardship so this money can help offset some of the costs. The scholarship helps them focus on their academics and stay on a timely path to their degrees.”
