Tuesday, July 9, 2013 (Bronx, NY) – This year, six Hostos Community College students were selected to participate in the New York Needs You Fellowship Program (NYNY). They are Maskana Adedjouman, Mor Boye, Abdoulaye Diallo, Jessica Molina, Ifeanyi Obinali, and Leydi Payano.

Each participant received a $2,500 professional development grant, access to summer internships at prestigious companies and organizations, individualized support from a mentor coach, and such in-kind services, such as free business attire, free writing and ESL support, subsidized test preparation, and networking opportunities with leading industry professionals.

The New York Needs You Fellowship Program is a highly-selective program for high-achieving, low-income, first-generation college students. Through holistic mentorship and a structured career development curriculum, NYNY is designed to foster continuous college enrollment, internships, and job offers upon graduation from four-year institutions.
NYNY’s preliminary results to date have been strong, with 96 percent of the fellows still in college and 98 percent having secured internships (versus 73 percent and 27 percent, respectively, for their peer group).

Lisanette Rosario is the Director of Career Services at Hostos, as well as the liaison for NYNY. In addition to being responsible for the program’s outreach and scheduling of on-campus sessions, she and her staff also reviewed the students’ essays and application materials and coached them for the interview process.

“This has been a collaborative effort with support not only from the Career Services Office, but also the Hostos Leadership Academy and the ASAP program,” Rosario said.

Furthermore, New York Needs You will provide additional academic and social support that will encourage our students to strive for success in their academic and career pursuits. I am proud to be part of this program at Hostos, and to provide opportunities that contribute to the retention and graduation of Hostos students.”

Four of the fellows— Adedjouman, Boye, Diallo, and Obinali— are also members of the Hostos Leadership Academy.

For more information on the program, go to http://www.newyorkneedsyou.org/apply
For more information about Career Services, go to http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/cso/

About 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 29 associate degree programs and 5 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 480,000 students at 24 colleges.