Kay Bell will serve the Bronx through community engagement events.

Class of 2013 Hostos Community College alumna Kay Bell has just been named the 2023-2025 Bronx Poet Laureate. Author of two poetry collections, Bell will promote the history of poetry in the Bronx and ignite a passion for poetry and creative expression throughout the borough through various community engagement events. 

“Everyone who knows me knows that I love poetry,”  said Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis. “So, to learn that Prof. Kay Bell, a Hostos alumna, has been named the Poet Laureate for the Bronx fills me with a special kind of joy and pride. Prof Bell’s achievements serve as another potent reminder of the richness of the cultural life in the South Bronx and that the voices of our community speak loudly and with great eloquence about our experiences and our passions. Brava, Prof. Bell! We look forward to following your achievements in the years to come.” 

Until recently, the Laureate was an effective advocate for Hostos students. Before joining City College of New York’s Department of English as Adjunct Assistant Professor and becoming an academic advisor at their Division of Humanities and the Arts, Bell started her mentoring career in 2019 at Hostos as a Success Coach for the Student Success Coaching Unit (SSCU), a comprehensive learning environment that is committed to the academic achievement, personal and professional development of students. 

A South Bronx resident, this opportunity will grant her the chance to continue empowering the communities the College serves. 
 
“I am confident that working closely with the Bronx community as Poet Laureate will give me the opportunity to deepen my empathy for my students and provide deeper reflection for my writing,” said Bell. “This will be a result of me going into the position to learn as much as I educate.”
 
Future talking engagements at Hostos are in the works between Bell and the Student Development and Enrollment Management (SDEM) division. 
 
 “This is a fantastic accomplishment of a Hostos alumna that showcases the talent of our student body,” said SDEM Vice President La Toro Yates. 
 
Learn more about 2023-2025 Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell’s work here.
 

About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College
 
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 for over half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been 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.
 
Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and one certificate program that facilitate secure transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. A two-time Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence finalist, 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 25 colleges.  
 
For inquiries, please email publicrelations@hostos.cuny.edu. 
 
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