HOSTOS TO HOLD 50TH COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
AND
ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER KARINE JEAN-PIERRE
FRIDAY 29 MAY 2020 | 10:00 AM | STREAMING VIA VIDEO ON HOSTOS.CUNY.EDU

Eugenio María de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York will celebrate the Class of 2020 and honor the College’s 50th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. through a video presentation. Nearly 1,400 students will graduate later this month. Like many other schools and colleges across the country, Hostos had to postpone its in-person celebrations due to health and safety issues stemming from the novel coronavirus pandemic. 
 
Hostos’ Mission – meeting the higher educational needs of people from this and similar communities who historically have been excluded from higher education – remains as relevant as ever. Founded in 1968, Hostos graduated its first class in 1970. “Although larger forces impact our ability to hold a real celebration,” President David Gómez states, “our effort to do what we can is sincere. We want to let our graduating students know that we care about them and we acknowledge their incredible resilience during these uncertain times. The fact these students have come this far speaks volumes about their commitment to learn and advance in life.”  President Gómez will be retiring at the end of June after a long and distinguished career in the CUNY system. He will be sorely missed by the Hostos family.
 
Ms. Karine Jean-Pierre is this years’ commencement speaker. Karine Jean-Pierre's professional experience has ranged widely from presidential campaigns to grassroots activism, to local politics, to working in the White House. Jean-Pierre is the Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst.  
 
The Hostos 50th Commencement Video Ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 29th and may be viewed on the College’s website.
 
About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College 
Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change, transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. Hostos serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, and a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "student success coach" program, which partners students with individualized guidance, is emblematic of the premier emphasis on student support and services.
 
Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and 2 certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York (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. The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture (HCAC) is one of the pre-eminent Latino arts centers of the northeast. The HCAC has distinguished itself for showcasing traditional art forms as well as emerging and internationally renowned artists.
 
Hostos Community College is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university serving more than 500,000 students at 25 colleges.
 
#