It is hard to walk around the Hostos Community College campus and not run into Makea Lowe. Lowe lends her support to countless events, and as a Student Ambassador, she has also made a huge difference in the community.
 
Lowe was one of five Hostos students to receive the 2014 CUNY Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Leadership Awards. The awards are presented to students selected by the chief student affairs officers on each CUNY campus.
 
Also a member of the Ernesto Malave CUNY Corps Program, Lowe was also recognized for volunteering on National Days of Service, where among other responsibilities, she worked with students with disabilities. This work also earned her a Donald and Mary Ellen Passantino Scholarship Award in 2013. The University Student Senate of The City University of New York established the Donald and Mary Ellen Passantino Scholarship Fund in 2003. The fund consists of four yearly $500 awards per campus and will recognize international and disabled students who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and enthusiasm under extraordinary circumstances.
 
Other awards Lowe has won include a Non-Traditional Leader Award in 2011-12 and Hostos Student Leadership Academy and Above and Beyond awards in 2012-13. Lowe is also working hard to become the first member of her family to become a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
 
So what makes this digital design student and fashion enthusiast want to give back? Lowe said the support services, fellow students, as well as the faculty and staff at Hostos, have all been a huge part in helping her overcome her own obstacles. Lowe said she owes much of her success to the Hostos Student Leadership Academy, as well as other programs that have helped shape her into a person who wants to give back. Specifically, Lowe pointed to Jason Libfeld, Student Leadership Coordinator.
 
“Jason has always been there to help me through the tough times. He is very encouraging and thanks to his guidance, I have been able to persevere and thrive at Hostos,” Lowe said.
 
In the classroom, Lowe credited Hostos professors Rees Shad and Sarah Sandman for helping her get through courses, including conceptual drawing classes, typography, and other coursework which incorporated mathematics.
 
Professor Sandman said Lowe’s devotion to her craft sets her apart. “As Makea’s professor, I have witnessed her give the utmost dedication to her discipline.”
 
While she has made a large contribution to Hostos and the community, Lowe is determined to graduate next year and pursue her fashion design dreams.
 
“I love it here. I really do. The support and encouragement, and just plain love, that I get here is something that is hard to put into words. Hostos is my second home,” Lowe said.