The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program

stands for Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge. The higher education opportunity program at the senior (four year) CUNY colleges. Established to provide comprehensive academic support to assist capable students who otherwise might not be able to attend college.

College Discovery

is the higher education opportunity program at the two year CUNY colleges. It was established to provide comprehensive academic support to assist capable students who otherwise might not be able to attend college.

WATCH SECOND CHANCES: THE CUNY SEEK AND COLLEGE DISCOVERY STORY

CUNY Celebrates the Renaming of SEEK

In 1966, the honorable Percy Ellis Sutton, as a member of the New York State Assembly, spearheaded the fight to create the “Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge” (SEEK) Program within the City University of New York.  In Sutton’s words, SEEK was created to serve “the injured of our society,” students whose academic potential was not cultivated in the elementary and high schools they attended in poor neighborhoods across New York City.  Over the years, SEEK has nurtured students who might never have gone to college.  The Program provides academic, counseling, and financial support, services that have enabled thousands to obtain a college education and subsequently pursue rewarding careers.  To honor his memory, on July 1, 2011, the program Sutton envisioned officially became The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program.

Obama Taps Hunter Alumnus for Key Veterans Affairs Post

President Obama has nominated Hunter alumnus John U. Sepúlveda (BA ’77) to be Assistant Secretary of Human Resources for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sepúlveda brings to this position over 25 years of experience as an innovative leader in the public and private sectors.

Sepúlveda previously served as deputy director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the Clinton administration. In that office he led various initiatives to promote greater diversity throughout the U.S. government. While at OPM, he served on the White House Interagency Task Force on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, the President’s Council for Y2K Conversion, and the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency.

Before joining OPM, Sepúlveda successfully managed a $5 billion portfolio of federally insured hospital mortgages as a director at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also played a lead role in the restructuring and reengineering of several major programs within the Federal Housing Administration.

Early in his career, Sepúlveda taught political science at both his alma maters, Hunter College and Yale University, where he earned two master’s degrees. While at Hunter, Sepúlveda was a SEEK student and is now a charter member of the Hunter College SEEK Wall of Fame.

-Hunter News and Events