Bedford Hills College Program Honors Graduates

New York, NY - On May 27, the Bedford Hills College Program (BHCP) held commencement exercises at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Graduates’ families, BHCP donors, faculty, administrators and students from Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) attended the ceremony to celebrate the academic achievement of BHCP students.

With the cooperation of a consortium of New York-area colleges, MMC presented one Bachelor of Arts and seven Associate of Arts degrees. Tracey Finkle was named valedictorian. Brian Fisher, Department of Correctional Services Commissioner, and Sr. Elaine Roulet, former director of the Children’s Center at Bedford Hills, were invited as guest speakers. 

Deborah Soule, who graduated from the BHCP in 2003, was recognized with the first Theodora Jackson Service Award. Soule is a BHCP office clerk and has been the managing editor of The Insider, the BHCP quarterly newsletter, since its inception. 

Marymount Manhattan has served as the degree granting institution for the program since the spring of 1997, and has managed its operations since late 2004. The BHCP offers non-credit college-preparatory courses in writing and math, as well as credit-bearing courses leading to Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees. To date, MMC has conferred more than 110 associate and bachelor’s degrees to BHCP students since the program’s inception. Consortial members include Bank Street College, Barnard College, Manhattanville College, Mercy College and Pace University. 

Click here to view the photo gallery. 

The Bedford Hills College Program was featured in The Journal NewsClick here to read more.

Published: June 08, 2010