The efforts of Professor Yoel Rodríguez and the Joint Dual Degree Engineering program with The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering (GSoE) have not gone unnoticed. The program’s recent recognition as an 2021 Examples of Excelencia Finalist from Excelencia in Education received a commendation from Congressman Ritchie Torres (15-District, New York) and encouraged Hostos to use this letter, included below in full, as we wish to promote our continued work in elevating Latino student success. Congratulations!
 
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(Dated October 21, 2021)
 
Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515-3215
Ritchie Torres, 15th District, New York
 
Dr. Yoel Rodríguez
Engineering Program Coordinator
CUNY Hostos Community College
475 Grand Concourse A-507 Bronx, NY 20451
 
Dear Dr. Rodríguez:
 
I would like to congratulate Hostos Community College for the success of its Joint Dual Admission Engineering program and its recent recognition by Excelencia in Education as a 2021 Examples of Excelencia Finalist. Your dedication and commitment to the educational success of Latino students has not gone unnoticed.
 
This recognition demonstrates Hostos Community College’s continued commitment to truly serving Latino students. Today, Latino students from low-income communities face numerous financial, political, and social barriers that hinder their pursuit of higher education. Black and Latino adults are underrepresented among STEM college graduates compared with their share in the population, and an even smaller share are earning degrees in a STEM field than in other degree programs.
 
The program’s partnership between Hostos and The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering (GSoE) provides a strong foundation of knowledge in science and mathematics for disproportionately underrepresented students as well as the high-quality general education needed for the training of future engineers. The program has made major achievements in creating a pipeline from the South Bronx to Engineering Programs of leading four-year institutions and graduate schools like Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, and Carnegie Mellon. Your community, students, and I thank you for providing intentional, culturally relevant, high-impact education tailored to Latino students and our community.
 
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor and thank you for all that you do for our students in the South Bronx. As your representative in Congress, I am extremely proud and appreciative of your continued service to our community and look forward to working with you in advocating for affordability, quality, and accessibility in our education system.
 
Sincerely,
Ritchie Torres
Member of Congress