During the week of October 14, the Hostos Alumni Relations Office hosted a fundraising concert event, collaborated with the Career Services Mini Job Fair and with the Student Government Association for the Women Leaders Conference. Hostos alumni were part of all three events.

HOSTOS 2009 ALUMNUS ANTHONY NUÑEZ
AT THE HOSTOS JOB FAIR



From left to right: ASAP Director Laura McGowan,
ASAP Career and Employment Specialist Berkis Cruz-Eusebio,
Anthony Nuñez, Rey Polanco, and Alumni Relations
Director Nydia Edgecombe.
 

On October 22, Anthony Nuñez, and his employer Rey Polanco, came to Hostos to interview students at the job fair for available positions in their office at State Farm. Nuñez has worked with the reputable insurance agency for the past five years as a Customer Relations Specialist.
 
As part of the mini job fair celebration, the ASAP Program and the Alumni Relations Office teamed up with the Career Services Office to present plaques to Polanco and to Nuñez for their work and participation. Nuñez was an ASAP student while at Hostos.
 
“I will be placing this award prominently in my office, because I want everybody to know that Hostos is our friend and a place to go to seek talent,” Polanco said.
 

HOSTOS 1995 ALUMNA MIRKEYA CAPELLÁN
PARTICIPATES IN WOMEN LEADERS CONFERENCE



From left to right: Mirkeya Capellán and Lisanette Rosario,
a 2001 Hostos graduate.

 
On October 23, the Hostos Student Government Association coordinated a conference at the College to recruit female students and to honor Hostos women leaders.
 
Mirkeya Capellán, Ph.D., was one of the women invited to speak at the panel presentation. Lisanette Rosario, the Director of the Career Services Office at Hostos Community College and a 2001 Hostos alumna, also participated in the discussion.
 
Capellán was only 16 years old when her parents sent her to the United States from the Dominican Republic to live with family members. After enrolling at Hostos, she said Hostos Assistant Professor, Lewis Levine, encouraged her to carry on and became a key figure in her educational journey.
 
Becoming emotional at times, Capellán spoke about having very little resources, not knowing a word of English when she started her college career, and the difficulties she faced while trying to ensure her family had food on the table.
She received a standing ovation at the end of her presentation.
 
Capellán encouraged the students to dream big, regardless of the obstacles they might encounter. Today, Capellán serves as IT Training & Strategic Project Specialist at Mercedes-Benz USA.
 
“I had trouble passing my reading tests. I was a mother in college, but persevered and eventually landed a dream job working for Mercedes-Benz.

Now, my daughter is finishing pre-med at City College, and I like to think that I inspired my children to love and respect education,” said Capellán.
 

HOSTOS 2008 ALUMNA ANDRE VELOZ PERFORMS
CABARET BACHATA



Andre Veloz performing at Pregones Theater.

 
Andre Veloz’s sold out Cabaret Bachata concert and fundraising event held at Pregones Theater on October 23 was a complete success.
 
Attended by Hostos faculty, staff and alumni, the event was the first-ever Hostos alumni concert. The proceeds from the concert will benefit the Hostos Alumni Relations Office.
 
“We are grateful to Andre Veloz for all her contributions to the College. We are very proud of her. She is a vivid example of the great individuals that have come out of Hostos and are doing great things,” said Nydia Edgecombe, Director of the Alumni Relations Office at Hostos.
 
“I will never forget my alma mater, and tonight is about that extended family, my friends, my fans, and the music,” Veloz said. 
 
Veloz is quickly gaining recognition as one of the best Dominican bachata singers in New York City.
 
Veloz graduated from Hostos in 2008 and from Hunter College in 2011.

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de 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 since 1968. It serves as 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. The College’s unique “Student Success Coaching Unit” provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (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. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 480,000 students at 24 colleges.