Michelle Lara-Arthur
Hostos Student Ambassador
Bronx CUNY Scholarship Winner
Michelle was born in Trinidad, in the West Indies and came to the United States of America in September of 1995. She is the mother of four children and has an abundance of energy and stamina. Michelle returned to school to continue her education, which was interrupted by the birth of her children. Once Michelle returned to school she made it a priority in her life to explore all of the experiences that she might have missed out on. And as such, she has managed to explore new worlds and cultures not only in her classes, but through the STOCS Study Abroad Program, which allowed her to experience Puerto Rican Culture through first-hand experience.
Michelle has worked diligently in her time at Hostos to provide service to the local communities as both a member of the Hostos Leadership Academy’s Student Ambassador Program and also as the Treasurer of the Praise Christian Club. In her role as an Ambassador, Michelle has worked in a variety of venues to provide 40 hours of community service each of the semesters that she has been in the college and has worked with agencies such as; Part of the Solution Soup Kitchen, Community of the Heights Food Pantry, Kings Harbor Manor Multi-Care Center, Hueman Bookstore, the United States Census Bureau and many others.
As an executive in the Praise Christian Club, Michelle has worked with local leaders and campus leaders to bring about a food distribution program that receives generous contributions from local supermarkets, food banks as well as the Food Bank for New York City and then hands out food to those in need. The Praise Christian Club has not only provided food to stop hunger, but they also provide food for the soul, with their weekly Prayer Sessions and bi-annual Praise Concerts.
Although Michelle is in her final semester at the college, she hopes to attain her Bachelor’s Degree in three diverse, but well-connected fields; Education, Psychology and Theology. Michelle is also constantly working to help people to accomplish their goals, because as she says, “I know that only through giving of myself and my soul, will I truly be content.”
Amongst the many unique opportunities that have presented themselves to Michelle, as an Ambassador has been her unique, once in a lifetime chance to speak and represent Hostos at the Black and Puerto Rican Legislators Conference in Albany, New York. In this instance, Michelle had the opportunity to meet with legislators and politicians and share her unique world view with them. She has also been a participant at the CUNY Women’s Leadership Conference and has represented Hostos Community College and the City University of New York at events around the New York City area.
Michelle has recently been awarded the Bronx CUNY Scholarship and has been recognized by her church for her service to the community. She was awarded the Bronx Shepherds Restoration Inc. Award for her contribution to the community and the church.
Michelle Lara-Arthur graduated from Hostos Community College in June 2009 and will be attending Lehman College in the fall of 2009.