A capacity crowd was on hand for the Hostos Community College Salute to Graduates and
the 8
th Annual Cooperative Education Program Ceremony.
As it does each year, Hostos’ extended family helped prepare the latest group of graduates in style at the Salute to Graduates Orientation and Celebration and the 8
th Annual Cooperative Education Program Ceremony.
Held on May 20, this event served as both an information session for commencement, as well as an opportunity to salute Hostos’ best and brightest. This year, this fun and educational festival included a crash course on commencement, as well as a raffle, a special scholarship and awards ceremony, and some great advice from Hostos administrators.
Offering congratulations and encouraging words were Christine Mangino, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Ana M. Carrión-Silva, Vice President for Institutional Advancement; Carlos Molina, Vice President for Continuing Education & Workforce Development, and Nathaniel Cruz, Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment.
Hostos Interim President David Gómez, who has been a part of Hostos Community College family since 1972, also saluted the graduates, and helped raffle off prizes with Alumni Relations Director Nydia Edgecombe.
Various faculty and administrators also presented students with certificates of recognition for their hard work in the Accounting, Community Health, Digital Design & Animation & Digital Music, Early Childhood Education, and Gerontology programs, as well as the Office Technology.
How to Prepare for Commencement
The program was hosted by Jerry Rosa, the Director of Student Activities, and Lisanette Rosario, the Director of Career Services, They offered information about graduation, including where to get tickets, acquire caps and gowns, among other tips.
Graduate Employment Coordinator Idelsa Méndez, who also runs the “Suited for Success Program,” followed with a focused talk on the importance of wearing the proper attire for the ceremony.
The Gerald J. Meyer Transfer Scholarship Award
Presenters Johana Rivera, Associate Dean of Student Development & Enrollment Management, along with Liz Santos, Coordinator for the Transfer Services Office, joined Professor Emeritus Gerald Meyer to announce the two winners of The Gerald J. Meyer Transfer Scholarship Award
. Yvonne González and Jonathan Romero proudly received recognition as the top two transfer students of the 2014-15 academic year.
The event also included music and refreshments, and it had such an overwhelming response, that the faculty dining room had to be opened in order to provide additional seating.
Jonathon Romero receives the Gerald J. Meyer Transfer Scholarship Award
from Dr. Meyer, Ms. Santos and Dr. Rivera.
Nydia Edgecombe also presented a slideshow featuring the benefits of obtaining an Alumni ID card. Edgecombe explained that for a $20 lifetime fee, alumni will have full access to the gym, pool, computer lab, and library, as well as a number of consumer discounts, including automobile insurance.
Edgecombe also discussed the
Alumni Speakers Bureau (ASB), a program dedicated to bringing graduates back to the college in order to give motivational talks to current students.
Rosario presented a Certificate of Honor to Feliberto Feliz for his outstanding service to the Alumni Speakers Bureau, particularly with the CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP), headed by its Director Fatiha Makloufi.
Rosario spoke about the importance of a degree and how the Department of Career Services can assist graduates with employment options through individual and group counseling, access to resources, job-readiness preparation, and practical work experience. Rosario reminded everyone that these services are free of charge.
Feliberto Feliz receiving the ASB award from Lisanette Rosario.
Yolanda Soto, the Cooperative Education Coordinator in the Office of Career Services, also encouraged soon-to-be graduates. “I want each and every one of you to succeed. The late night studying for exams and all the hard work you put in has finally paid off – you should take the time out to enjoy today – you earned it,” Soto said.
The Salute to Graduates was sponsored by Alumni Relations, Career Services, the President’s Office, Student Activities and Transfer Services. This event would not be possible without the support from Berkeley College, the Hostos Bookstore, the Hostos Café, Mercy College, the Career Club, and the Inter-Divisional Committee.
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.