A native of Guyana, Steve Hemraj found an inclusive, inspiring and safe home at Medgar Evers College

 By David Gil de Rubio | dgilderubio@mec.cuny.edu

Currently the Patient Outreach Coordinator for the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, Steve Hemraj, Class of 2009, is quick to admit that Medgar Evers College was a lifeline for the Guyanese native. 

One of eight siblings who was also his parents’ youngest son, Hemraj was working in finance when he realized there were certain cultural barriers in the way that made the decision to move to Brooklyn the way to go for him.

“I used to work in banking in Guyana and at the time, they were only offering an associate’s degree in banking, which I finished,” he said. “I spent most of my career in banking and ended up becoming a bank manager. I then decided it was time for me to leave Guyana because I’m gay, and it wasn’t a very welcoming environment as I moved up through my career into my professional life. It was difficult for me, so I decided I was coming to the U.S. When I came here, I received asylum.”

Having been the first person on both sides of his family to attend college, finding the right place to earn his bachelor’s degree in finance was crucial. Upon landing upon our shores, Hemraj’s search for a school quickly led him to Medgar Ever College.

“I did some research, visited and what I wanted in a college was a place where diversity looked like me — someone from the Caribbean,” Hemraj explained. “Diversity was important. I didn’t want to join up with all these people that didn’t look like me or share a similar background. Moving into the area was one thing, but I wanted a school that had diversity and shared a similar culture.”

While working full-time managing an HIV access program called the Caribbean Access Initiative, Hemraj also carried a full class-load at Medgar Evers College.

“When I was going to school, I worked three minutes from where I was living and 10 minutes to Medgar Evers College — it was the perfect combination of distance and access,” he said. “My first semester I did full classes. When I started at Medgar Evers College, I was able to have a full transfer of credits from what I already did. My first semester, I took six classes. My second semester, I did five and my third semester I took six classes, which is 18 credits. I ended up graduating with a 3.8 and the first semester when I took six classes I got six A’s. I finished my degree in less than two-and-a-half years because I took more classes and finished my degree earlier for less cost since it cost the same whether you were taking four or six classes.”

Hemraj’s dedication meant forgoing partying, a decision he was glad to make. (“I consciously decided that my degree was more important than social activities that were happening. I think that’s one of the biggest mistakes people make that are not focused.”) Yet, he still managed to squeeze in time to not only be part of the first cohort of the Male Development Center (MDEC), but also volunteering to help out by representing the school during fundraising events. It’s all a part of what helped him earn his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Baruch College, but helped him ascend the corporate ladder.

“When I was representing Medgar Evers College whenever there were people coming to give money or wanted to give money, I was learning a different set of skills,” he said. “You’ve got to be involved with the Student Government Association because you not only gained an education, but all of those soft skills that the school provided. You’re not only going to class to study — everybody can do that because once you apply yourself, you’re going to pass. But it’s the idea of being surrounded by diversity while engaging in and practicing those soft skills the professors would always talk about.”

Ask Hemraj about what it means to be Medgar Made and you can hear the pride reverberating over the phone.

“I come from a college that has a name and the name meant something to me and it’s more relevant today than it was before,” Hemraj declared. “Whenever I go anywhere, even though I graduated, I always make sure that people know that I did my undergraduate studies at Medgar Evers College. It’s because it represents a value and for me as a student, I have to represent that brand. I don’t care where you went — I pride myself with the brand and that I went to Medgar Evers College. I have the same education you got as an undergrad and it’s equally relevant to you as it is to me.”