Sixty-First Commencement
Class of 2026
Kenny Rivera
Nursing major
Kenny Rivera has spent most of his life serving others. He is a New York City firefighter. He is a father who coaches his kid's little league baseball team. He mentors young adults who want to follow him into the fire service. And this year, he is graduating from Kingsborough Community College with a degree in nursing — his second degree from KCC.
Kenny, 36, was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States at age six. His parents settled the family in Brooklyn, where Kenny still lives today.
His first stop at Kingsborough led to an associate degree in business administration. He transferred to Brooklyn College, earned his bachelor's degree and spent eight years working as a property manager. But something was missing. "I needed to find purpose in my life," he said. So, he joined the FDNY, where he has served for the past seven years.
Then Kenny had a dream — a literal one. “In the dream, I was providing care to impoverished people who lacked access to medical services. I brought the care directly to them and built a community that shared that same vision. I’ve always felt the universe is conspiring in my favor to see that it happens.”
To help realize that dream, Kenny decided to return to Kingsborough, this time to pursue nursing.
Balancing school with a demanding career and family life was not easy. "I had a family to maintain and a job to do while I was pursuing my education," he said, "but with hard work, support and perseverance, we did it."
His academic record at KCC reflects that commitment. Kenny received the 2025 Vanguard Award from the New York State Nontraditional Employment and Training program, which honors students pursuing careers in fields that are nontraditional for their gender. He also received the Nurses Association of the Counties of Long Island Leadership Award at his pinning ceremony and the 2024 New York State Honorary Fire Chiefs' Association Scholarship.
Two professors left a lasting impression on him. "Professor Zaloom pushed me further than I could have imagined because she truly believed in me," he said. "And I remember crying when Professor Scott told me that the world needs more nurses like me because it sparked a flame in me to do everything I could to become that nurse."
Kenny also credits a setback with shaping who he became as a student. He once failed a class by less than a point and had to wait while his cohort moved ahead without him. "My takeaway from this experience was the realization that I will be dealing with people's lives where there is no room for error,” he reflected. “I really need to know this information to do my job properly.”
The time away also gave him the chance to build new friendships and serve as president of the Nursing Club. "Failure has taught me that it is not the end of the road,” he said, “but some adjustments must be made before you can take a different route."
A member of the January 2025 cohort, Kenny has since passed the NCLEX licensing exam and is working as a private nurse. His current plan is to apply to work at a county hospital and pursue a bachelor of science in nursing at CUNY SPS. But his 10-year vision is even bigger. He hopes to open dialysis clinics in Puerto Rico, with a focus on improving care for underserved communities, including the elderly and children.
His advice to incoming students is straightforward: follow the syllabus and get to know your classmates. For nursing students specifically, he stresses preparation. "It's not a major where you are expected to learn at lectures," he said. "You have to read the material in advance and come to class to ask questions."
The first in his family to finish college, he said his family has always emphasized the importance of getting an education. " I consider myself fortunate to have been able to attend this college," he said. "I wish people knew how great of an education you can get at an affordable price."