SFC Steps In After Hurricane Katrina Derails Teen’s College Dream
Warren Cohn, 18, had the next phase of his life planned out before him.
By Stephen Witt
Comment
Warren Cohn, 18, had the next phase of his life planned out before him.
Or so he thought.
Those plans, which included starting at Tulane University in New Orleans this month, were washed away with the flood following Hurricane Katrina.
Enter St. Francis College in Downtown Brooklyn at 180 Remsen Street, which is one a handful of schools offering to take in college refugees displaced from the killer hurricane.
“I just walked in [to the admissions office] and they were amazing,” said Cohn, who graduated from Yeshiva of Flatbush H.S. and was set to fly down and start school at Tulane this past week.
“They just said you’re accepted and made a schedule for me with no acceptance exam or anything,” he added, while walking between classes.
Cohn, who was born and raised in Brooklyn Heights, said he had already sent down bed linens and some clothes to New Orleans and was set to fly down the Sunday before the hurricane.
However, due to some flight arrangement problems he had top miss the flight, and after the hurricane he received word that the school had canceled the fall semester.
After the canceled semester, he looked at some options, including offers from New York, Columbia and George Washington Universities before deciding to stay close to home.
“I decided [on St. Francis] last Wednesday, and they expedited things quickly. It took just a few hours to set up everything,” Cohn said.
The move came days after St. Francis College President Dr. Frank J. Macchiarola announced that the school will temporarily enroll New York metropolitan-area students who were scheduled to attend colleges and universities that were unable to open due to Hurricane Katrina.
“There’s no reason any student whose family lives in the area should fear falling behind in his or her studies,” said Macchiarola.
“We at St. Francis College will do our best to accommodate students until they are able to return safely to areas affected by this terrible tragedy,” he added.
Just down the street from St. Francis College at 6 MetroTech Center, Polytechnic University also announced it will offer “visiting student” status to all metropolitan-area students affected by the hurricane and flood.
“Polytechnic joins the nation in mourning the victims of this devastating storm and extending sympathy to all the individuals who are suffering its destructive effects,” said University President Jerry Hultin. “One step we can take is helping students affected by the hurricane to continue their education.”
Governor George Pataki and State Education Department Commissioner Richard P. Mills also announced that state schools will help those students displaced from the hurricane.
Pataki said that all the state’s public universities, including the 64 State University of New York (SUNY) and 20 City University of New York (CUNY) campuses, will be providing in-state tuition rates to all students who were attending colleges and universities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and who’ve had their education interrupted as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
In addition, all campuses have been directed to offer immediate admission to all displaced students, he said.
“We remain ready to help our friends in the Gulf Coast recover from the devastating wrath of Hurricane Katrina in any way possible,” Pataki said.
Mills said that given the projected recovery period from Katrina, he has directed school districts across New York, under the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, to expedite preparations to accept school children displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
This will help minimize the disruption caused to children in grades kindergarten through 12, he added.
In support of the effort, SUNY has established a special toll-free hotline at (800) 481-2905 to provide information on how to apply to these schools.
CUNY has also established a special admissions hotline at (212) 290-5604.
Students displaced by Hurricane Katrina can also call St. Francis College at (718) 489-5211 or Polytechnic University at (718) 260-3589.
Or so he thought.
Those plans, which included starting at Tulane University in New Orleans this month, were washed away with the flood following Hurricane Katrina.
Enter St. Francis College in Downtown Brooklyn at 180 Remsen Street, which is one a handful of schools offering to take in college refugees displaced from the killer hurricane.
“I just walked in [to the admissions office] and they were amazing,” said Cohn, who graduated from Yeshiva of Flatbush H.S. and was set to fly down and start school at Tulane this past week.
“They just said you’re accepted and made a schedule for me with no acceptance exam or anything,” he added, while walking between classes.
Cohn, who was born and raised in Brooklyn Heights, said he had already sent down bed linens and some clothes to New Orleans and was set to fly down the Sunday before the hurricane.
However, due to some flight arrangement problems he had top miss the flight, and after the hurricane he received word that the school had canceled the fall semester.
After the canceled semester, he looked at some options, including offers from New York, Columbia and George Washington Universities before deciding to stay close to home.
“I decided [on St. Francis] last Wednesday, and they expedited things quickly. It took just a few hours to set up everything,” Cohn said.
The move came days after St. Francis College President Dr. Frank J. Macchiarola announced that the school will temporarily enroll New York metropolitan-area students who were scheduled to attend colleges and universities that were unable to open due to Hurricane Katrina.
“There’s no reason any student whose family lives in the area should fear falling behind in his or her studies,” said Macchiarola.
“We at St. Francis College will do our best to accommodate students until they are able to return safely to areas affected by this terrible tragedy,” he added.
Just down the street from St. Francis College at 6 MetroTech Center, Polytechnic University also announced it will offer “visiting student” status to all metropolitan-area students affected by the hurricane and flood.
“Polytechnic joins the nation in mourning the victims of this devastating storm and extending sympathy to all the individuals who are suffering its destructive effects,” said University President Jerry Hultin. “One step we can take is helping students affected by the hurricane to continue their education.”
Governor George Pataki and State Education Department Commissioner Richard P. Mills also announced that state schools will help those students displaced from the hurricane.
Pataki said that all the state’s public universities, including the 64 State University of New York (SUNY) and 20 City University of New York (CUNY) campuses, will be providing in-state tuition rates to all students who were attending colleges and universities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and who’ve had their education interrupted as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
In addition, all campuses have been directed to offer immediate admission to all displaced students, he said.
“We remain ready to help our friends in the Gulf Coast recover from the devastating wrath of Hurricane Katrina in any way possible,” Pataki said.
Mills said that given the projected recovery period from Katrina, he has directed school districts across New York, under the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, to expedite preparations to accept school children displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
This will help minimize the disruption caused to children in grades kindergarten through 12, he added.
In support of the effort, SUNY has established a special toll-free hotline at (800) 481-2905 to provide information on how to apply to these schools.
CUNY has also established a special admissions hotline at (212) 290-5604.
Students displaced by Hurricane Katrina can also call St. Francis College at (718) 489-5211 or Polytechnic University at (718) 260-3589.
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