On January 11, Hostos student Arlene Almonte, who is studying Public Administration, was awarded the Shirley Rodríguez-Remeneski Public Policy and Administration Scholarship at the 100 Hispanic Women National, Inc. Awards Ceremony, held at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
(Click on the image to watch BronxNet's coverage of the event.)
Almonte, who boasts a 3.7 GPA, was selected not only because of her high grades but also because of her leadership in the classroom. Almonte will graduate in Spring 2019 and plans to continue her studies, possibly at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in Public Administration or Criminal Justice Management. Her dedication to her classwork allowed her to graduate with an associate degree in just 18 months. She is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest academic honor society in the United States.
“Attending the scholarship ceremony was humbling, yet empowering,” Almonte said. “Growing up, I saw a lot of women lobbying for change, but I never acknowledged the weight of responsibility they held for that change. Seeing a diverse group of women, all from different backgrounds pursuing personal goals while still finding time to help out others, it is a powerful and honorable statement.”
Named after Shirley Rodríguez-Remeneski, the founder and first president of100 Hispanic Women whose career in politics saw her champion the Hispanic Community; the award is a tribute to her legacy. The Scholarship assists motivated Latinas who are majoring in Public Policy & Administration/Health Care & Administration and pursuing a two-year associate degree program with a transition into a four-year Bachelor’s Degree program. Almonte earned $1,000 for her continued studies.
Nancy Genova, President of the 100 Hispanic Women and a Lecturer in Hostos’ Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, said: “We are carrying the torch of our founder Shirley Rodríguez-Remeneski by continuing to award our scholarships for the past 17 years expanding from an initial five recipients to our current twenty, which includes recipients of all our programs. Most of our scholars exceed the minimum requirement of 3.0 GPA requirements, have stellar recommendations and are already giving back to the community. We offer our scholars workshops to support their education and enhance their skills.”
The ceremony was a celebration of the organization’s programs, presenting awards to recipients from the Young Latinas Leadership Institute (YLLI), the 100 Hispanic Women Graduate Fellowship (100HWGF) and the Shirley Rodriguez-Remeneski Public Policy and Administration Scholarship Program in honor of the founder. The keynote speaker was Cindy Bautista-Thomas—the Co-founder of Velocity Visions, a personal development agency whose mission is to provide transformational guidance to individuals. Cindy is a licensed clinical social worker who is also a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center.
President Genova added, “We continue to award students attending the City University of New York (CUNY) which traditionally has recruited the most economically disadvantaged students. We have expanded our recruitment efforts to include other colleges and universities. We are currently looking at different avenues to expand our programs because education is the single variable that will have the most significant impact on a person’s earning potential throughout their life span. The Latino community is expanding in the United States and preparing them to be marketable is part of our mission which seeks to maximize the potential of Latinas in order to become equal partners in an empowered world of equal opportunity, and equal justice.”
About 100 Hispanic Women
100 HISPANIC WOMEN NATIONAL, INC. is a non-profit, non-partisan women’s organization dedicated to guiding Latinas towards excellence in leadership by fostering educational enrichment and creating opportunities to promote personal and professional advancement. It is through the annual gala that the organization raises the much-needed funds to support the organization’s efforts to secure scholarships for our young scholars. To learn more about the organization, visit our website: www.100hispanicwomen.org