From left to right: Latoya Speller, Fevidaury Valerio Arias, Jason Libfeld,
Angelica Herrera De León, Denice Caba, Elvis Boves and Yinny Ortega.
In its ongoing mission to give support to the community, 27
Hostos Student Leadership Academy (
SLA) members volunteered to work at the 2014 New York City
Walk to End Alzheimer’s on October 19, 2014 and sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association.
They arrived at Riverside Park at 97
th Street at 6:00 a.m. to set up distribution centers, make coffee and provide breakfast for other volunteers and event participants.
The event was coordinated by Hostos alumna and former Student Leadership Academy Member Sharnie Bennett ‘10, who connected the Academy with the organizers of the event and then helped to recruit members to participate. Sharnie is passionate about the mission of the Alzheimer’s Organization, because of her grandmother, who struggled with the disease until her death in 2012.
“I wanted to do something in memory of my grandmother which would also help to find a cure for Alzheimer’s,” said Sharnie. “The best volunteers that I know are the members of the Hostos Student Leadership Academy. They always go serve with smiles on their faces, because they know that they are truly making a difference in the lives of others.”
When the walk began, SLA members spent the day handing out water, food, and working at the distribution centers helping children make their own special support signs for survivors and family members of survivors.
Hostos student volunteers also distributed special gifts to individual donors that included T-shirts, medals and colored pin-wheel flowers representing their connection to those who have dealt with the Alzheimer’s disease.
Jason Libfeld, the Hostos Student Leadership Academy Coordinator said that, “This is one of those great activities, where students engage in a powerfully moving cause which benefits the society that they live in and has a long lasting effect. It also allows each of the students to realize the power that they have individually and collectively in making a difference in the communities that they live in and are a part of. We were all out there to support Sharnie, her family and the families that struggle with Alzheimer’s on a day to day basis.”
From left to right (back row): Soppi Souba, Yinny Ortega,
Ameen Alhubaishi, Walter Velas, Lizayda Rodríguez.
Front row left to right: Sandra May Flowers, Elvis Boves and Denice Caba.
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 480,000 students at 24 colleges.