General | 6/26/2020 1:00:00 PM

"I attended BMCC because of its location, diversity, resources, and most importantly, their athletic facilities and soccer team records. As a soccer lover, I felt like BMCC is the best place for me, and I fell in love with their slogan, "Start here, go anywhere." Given all that I was able to achieve and all the good things that happened to me at BMCC, it turns out I made the right decision." 
– Lamarana Diallo (CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
 
Queens, New York – On Tuesday, The City University of New York Athletic Conference announced the Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the 2019-2020 season recognizing the best student-athletes in the conference for their hard work in the classroom during their respective seasons. BMCC Panthers men's soccer player Lamarana Diallo (Ziguinchor, Senegal) was named by the CUNY Athletic Conference as the top male student-athlete at the community college level.

From the time he arrived on campus at Borough of Manhattan Community College in the Fall of 2018, Diallo made an immediate impact inside the classroom while exhibiting significant leadership on campus. After learning about Diallo's journey to BMCC, it is no surprise that he could achieve at a high level from day one.

"When I first come to the US straight from Senegal, a French-speaking country, I did not know English and the American educational system. I had to learn how to write and read in English and be able to understand when somebody speaks before applying for college. It was not easy, but I did it in eight months then applied for college." 

Diallo was exceptional in the classroom, maintaining a 3.64 cumulative grade point average and earning a spot on the Dean's list in all four of his semesters at BMCC, while also serving in the Student Government as an Association Senator and the President of Association of Students of African Descent. Last May, Diallo earned BMCC's Scholar Leader Award, which recognizes students who have balanced their lives inside the classroom and outside of it as major leaders on campus while maintaining academic excellence (GPA of 3.5 or higher). 

Between racking up a plethora of academic awards and being a major voice on campus for issues such as Climate Change (where he participated in a march at BMCC last year), he still finds time to help others at BMCC and away from it. Diallo worked with the CUNY Tutors Corps during the previous two summers as a Math Tutor and Peer Mentor Supervisor. He also served as a supplemental math instructor on campus for his fellow students at BMCC.

He began his academic career as a computer science major at BMCC, then he decided to follow his childhood passion in math and science and changed his major to mathematics. Having the opportunity to help those to overcome their struggles in the subject while also having fun learning it was not a difficult decision for Diallo to make.

"After two semesters, I realized that I could do more good by helping many people who struggle in math by majoring in mathematics. After I changed my major, I started working as a supplemental math instructor and assisted (the professor) inside the classroom and outside of it. My teaching approach towards mathematics deals with connecting it to our daily lives, and I think at some point we are all good at math, but some of us just don't realize it yet because they think of math as a bunch of formulas and Xs and Ys. I think connecting math with what the students love doing would make it easier to understand and enjoyable."

Diallo posted four career goals and nine career points in 15 career games with the Panthers. His best performance came against Bergen County Community College on Sept. 14, 2019, when he buried two goals and added an assist for five points in a decisive 5-0 victory. Diallo was a member of the Panthers' 2019 CUNYAC Conference Championship team and was also a part of a Regular-Season Championship squad in 2018.

Diallo graduated from BMCC at the end of the Fall 2019 semester with an Associate of Science degree in Mathematics and a 3.64 GPA.

Below is a video feature on Lamarana's BMCC experience done by the CUNYAC: 



ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The Athletic Program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of six varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - the official site of BMCC Athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).