Isamar Garrido-Rodríguez, a Chemical Engineering student at Hostos, won a second-place prize in the 2014 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge. The competition is for CUNY undergraduate students, and it entails writing a 1,000-1,500-word essay about scientific concepts, which must also make the science accessible to the lay person.
The 21-year-old sophomore’s essay was about the development “super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.” She won an Apple iPad for her efforts and was mentioned on the CUNY website when the awards were announced.
Garrido-Rodríguez is also a member of the Hostos Student Leadership Academy (SLA) and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). She is also no stranger to excelling in college competitions, as Garrido-Rodríguez won the Hostos Essay Contest in 2014, the Juan Bosch Essay Contest in Spring 2014, as well as a Carlos Beltran Scholarship Award.
“I chose Hostos because it offers students a great learning experience within a very friendly environment, where everyone is willing to help,” Garrido-Rodríguez said. “Hostos also offers a great variety of extracurricular activities. I simply love Hostos! It is where I feel at home.”
After Hostos, Garrido-Rodríguez wants to finish her bachelor’s degree and possibly pursue a master’s degree. She is currently enrolled in the
Joint Dual Degree Engineering Program with The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering.
“Earning a prize means a lot, because I was competing with students from around CUNY. It makes me feel good about my chosen path. I just have to push myself a little harder to get first place next year and to be a great chemical engineer in the future.”
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.