For three decades, the CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) at Bronx Community College has helped immigrant and multilingual students build not only their English-language skills, but also the confidence and support system needed to thrive in college and beyond.

Founded in 1996 by CUNY Central Office members Leslee Oppenheim and John Mogulescu, CLIP was designed to address a gap in the CUNY system. Immigrant students were enrolling in college-level ESL classes while simultaneously taking credit-bearing courses – and struggling. The solution was full immersion: 25 hours of intensive English instruction each week, five days a week, with no additional coursework. The goal was to strengthen students’ English skills and accelerate their path through college.

Thirty years later, that model is still working.

This month, BCC’s CLIP program celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special gathering recognizing the program’s history, alumni success stories and the students whose lives have been transformed through the program. The event included a historical presentation featuring archival photographs, remarks from longtime faculty and staff, and the annual Pina Capone Essay Contest, where students shared personal stories about how CLIP impacted their educational journeys.

Over the years, CLIP has evolved into more than an English immersion program. Students from across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East have built a multicultural community while sharing languages, traditions and experiences. Faculty has organized museum collaborations and educational trips to places such as Washington, D.C. and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park to help students immerse themselves in American history and civic life.

“CLIP students are very grateful for the assistance that we give them,” said CLIP Director Jason Davis, who has been with the program since its inception. “It’s very fulfilling to see that you’re changing people’s lives and helping them move forward.”

Davis noted that CLIP students often arrive unfamiliar with the American higher education system and face significant personal and financial challenges while adapting to a new country and language. In addition to intensive English instruction, the program provides advisement, orientation support and access to resources – including mental health counseling and financial aid guidance – and partners with the BCC Writing Center for tutoring and the BCC Food Pantry for food assistance.

According to college data shared during the celebration, CLIP students at BCC are twice as likely to graduate as non-CLIP students and, on average, earn a full letter grade higher academically. Program leaders attribute those outcomes to CLIP’s intensity, strict attendance

policies and wraparound support services. A bilingual clinical social worker on staff helps students navigate the many resources available to them.

“What makes this program special is that it’s not just about learning English,” Davis said. “Students build confidence, community and a sense of possibility for their future.”

The teaching staff brings something else to the table: firsthand experience learning a language in a foreign country. Several CLIP instructors – including Davis himself, who taught English in Japan, China and Vietnam – have lived abroad and understand the cultural and emotional dimensions of language acquisition.

“They know what it’s like to adjust to a new culture,” Davis said. “That empathy makes a real difference.”

The CLIP program operates on campuses across CUNY, including Hostos, LaGuardia, Queensborough, Kingsborough, Borough of Manhattan, York, the College of Staten Island and the New York City College of Technology. It requires students to be fully admitted to a CUNY college before enrolling.

CLIP alumni have gone on to careers in medicine, higher education, public service and more. Some have returned to BCC in professional roles. One former student, Luz Rosado, has been featured in Forbes and now serves as Vice Chair of the BCC Foundation Board. Another alumnus, Soule Atsu, who was enrolled in CLIP in Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 with limited English proficiency, recently addressed a CUNY-wide gathering of CLIP educators in fluent, confident English.

“A year ago,” he told the audience, “the idea of getting up and presenting in front of my class was terrifying. And here I am.”

The winners of this year’s Pina Capone Essay Contest were:
First Place: Said Rosario; evening program – Hoguady Hilario
Second Place: Ana Fernandez; evening program – Marielys Marquez

“Now in my life, I can say, with pride, that I was a CLIP student,” Rosario wrote in his award-winning essay reflecting on the confidence and preparation the program gave him as he adjusted to college life in the United States.

For more information about CLIP at BCC, contact clip@bcc.cuny.edu or call 718.289.5207.