NEW YORK, N.Y. – On Thursday, June 2, a bit of history will be made at Hostos Community College when 35 teenagers in Hostos Lincoln Academy’s (HLA) senior class become the first students to graduate from the college’s Early College High School and the City University of New York (CUNY) system.

Early College High School is a national initiative that allows students to take high school and college-level courses simultaneously. The Hostos and HLA partnership is one of 12 Early College High Schools in the CUNY system that places low income youth in a challenging educational environment that prepares them for college. Upon successful completion of the program, seniors receive both a high school diploma and an associate degree. CUNY and Hostos’ Early College program was initiated with seed funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Hostos is responding to President Obama’s call for community colleges to continue providing affordable, accessible and high-quality education to our society,” said Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, the college’s president. “I am proud that we are advancing the agenda of access, innovation and completion in the South Bronx, where there is such a tremendous need for education and opportunity.”

Click here for full Press Release from HispanicOutlook.com

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