Left to right – Chuck Lesnick, Massiel Delmonte, Luisa Delmonte, Dean Ana I. Garcia Reyes, Betsy Garcia Idelsa Mendez
 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 (Bronx, NY) – On Friday, June 7, 2013, Associate Dean Ana I. Garcia Reyes was given a Proclamation by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and a Citation from the Yonkers City Council at the Dominican Cultural Association’s 10th Annual Gala Awards Dinner. This event was held at The Westchester Manor at Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero presented the Citation on behalf of City Council President Chuck Lesnik and the Council Members: John J. Jarkin, Christopher A. Johnson, Michael Sebastino, Dennis E. Shepherd, and Michael B. Breen.

US Congressman Elliot Angel brought greetings and congratulated all the honorees, as did City Council President Lesnik; NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Westchester County Legislator and Board President Kenneth W. Jenkins; and DCA President and District  Leader Piedad Abreu.  The ceremony was moderated by Luz Taveras-Salazar, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York.

Left to right- Piedad Abreu, Ana Garcia Reyes Minerva Guerrero, Nelly Innabi, Maria Contreras Hon. Wilson Terrero and students.

In her keynote address, Dean García Reyes stressed the importance of investing in education as an essential means of empowering the residents of underserved communities. She also gave examples of how education can transform people’s lives and shared data about the educational advancement of the Dominican community and other Latinos in Yonkers. Emphasizing the necessity of parents’ involvement in their children’s education, García Reyes said:

“If you want your sons and daughters to become productive citizens and transform your community, you have to invest in their education and support their career goals and aspirations. Knowledge is the key to personal growth and community empowerment. Challenges and distractions are an inevitable part of life, but they’re not an excuse to give up on your dreams. Be of good will, help all those you can, and always lead by example. It’s been wonderful to see a full house of warm-hearted people on a rainy day, united by a common cause."

Dean García Reyes also acknowledged the CUNY graduates who attended the gala and congratulated all the honorees:

Maria Taveras, NYC Deputy Comptroller for Accountability; Steve Sansone, Parks and Recreation Deputy Commissioner of Yonkers; Thomas Meier, DPW Commissioner of the City of Yonkers; Olga Rivera, Board of Elections Bilingual Coordinator and Rona Shapiro, 1199 Executive Vice President of the NY Home Care Division.

Dean Garcia Reyes concluded her remarks by thanking DCA Vice President and District Leader Minerva Guerrero for inviting her, the DCA Board for honoring her, the Reverend Lino Otero of Saint Peter’s Church for the blessings, and the group of children who exhibited their artwork and presented her  with flowers at the celebration.

Others in attendance included the following: Lissec Medrano of the CUNY Office of University and City Relations; Idelsa Méndez of the Hostos Career Services Office; Wendy Cuevas, Nursing Home Executive Director; Massiel Delmonte, CCNY Alumna and Director at UBS Wealth Management; Betsy García, Lehman College Alumna and Human Resources Manager at Something Digital; and Luisa Delmonte, and many other distinguished guests.

About Hostos Community College:
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, part of The City University of New York (CUNY) system, was founded in 1968.  In addition to associate degree programs that facilitate easy transfer to CUNY’s four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions, Hostos also has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development that offers courses for professional development and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. In four decades, Hostos has grown from a class of 623 in 1970 to more than 7,000 students in 2013. The college also serves an additional 12,000 students through its Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. For more news and stories about Hostos Community College, visit www.hostos.cuny.edu.

Media Contact:
Soldanela Rivera - srlopez@hostos.cuny.edu / 718-518-6872 or 917-627-9097
Rich Pietras – rpietras@hostos.cuny.edu / 718-518-6513