Greetings from the Hostos Community College Foundation! Hostos, located in the heart of the South Bronx, serves as a beacon of opportunity for so many hard-working students who aspire to expand their horizons through education. Hostos values resilience, diversity, and academic success, and the College enables students from all backgrounds and means to pursue their educational and professional goals.

The Foundation helps the College fulfill its purpose by providing critical resources, scholarships, and programs that close the gap between potential and success. Investing in Hostos not only benefits students, but also contributes to the thriving future of the South Bronx and surrounding neighborhoods. Your support will have a long-term impact, allowing students to develop and become leaders who will promote positive change locally and globally.

This newsletter details some of the Foundation’s recent and upcoming activities. We hope that you find a moment to read about the inspiring stories happening in the halls of Hostos every day and that you will consider joining us at an upcoming event!

Have you been trying to get in touch?

The College experienced a cybersecurity event in early May. No personal donor/prospect information was compromised, but it has affected our phones, email, and website access. All services are back up and running, but we may have missed your email or call. If you have been trying to reach us, please contact us at dia@hostos.cuny.edu.

Upcoming Events

The 18th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic

Get ready to swing into action at Hostos’ 18th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic! On Thursday, September 26 we will be headed to the stunning Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Courses for a day of fun, friendly competition, and furthering the mission of Hostos Community College. Do not pass up on this fantastic opportunity to have a wonderful time while strengthening scholarship support for Hostos students. The cost to an individual golfer is $350, or come for just cocktail hour and dinner for $175.

Want to make an even bigger impact? Sponsorships for the event range from $1,500 to $15,000—so on any budget, you can make a difference in the life of our students.

Visit www.HostosGolfOuting.com to register or become a sponsor.



Foundation News

Late Professor Gerald Meyer’s

Estate Gift Endows Transfer Scholarship

Professor Gerald Meyer served as a faculty member at Hostos from 1973 until 2002, and after a short break, he returned to teach part time in his retirement. He created the Gerald Meyer Transfer Scholarship in 2016 to help graduating students afford everything from tuition at a four-year college to travel. After his tragic passing in 2021, the Foundation learned that Hostos had been named in Professor Meyer’s will, and in June 2024, the College received initial disbursements from his estate totaling $58,333 to endow the scholarship bearing his name.

This gift enshrines the legacy of a stalwart champion of the College. As the Chair of the Save Hostos Committee, Professor Meyer was a leading organizer during the Save Hostos movement of the 1970s, and his passion for social justice and educational equity was only matched by his love of teaching.

In addition to his financial contributions, he helped establish the Gay and Lesbian Club and the Hostos Solidarity Coalition and, after retiring, he cofounded The Circle of 100 Scholarship and Emergency Fund. He is remembered as a demanding but exceptional professor. The Foundation is grateful for Professor Meyer’s planning and foresight in establishing this gift, which will ensure that his generosity toward Hostos students is truly endless.

Remembering Founding Board Member Elba Cabrera

La Madrina De Las Artes

Founding Board member and life-long Bronx advocate Elba Cabrera passed away on May 10 at 90 years of age. The Hostos Community College family mourns the loss of this iconic community member, who has been a part of Hostos’ story since its inception. The last surviving of the famed family of activists, Las Tres Hermanas, “Elba opened the doors of opportunity to hundreds of artists, particularly Puerto Rican and Latino ones, through her institutional roles or through her personal networks,” said Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, the chancellor of the City University of New York and former president of Hostos Community College in the Bronx (as reported by the New York Times).



The Elba Cabrera Memorial Fund was established in honor of Elba’s dedication to the arts. The fund will provide operating support for the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture. The fund quickly raised more than $18,000 to preserve the legacy of this beloved community leader.

To donate to the Elba Cabrera Madrina de las Artes Fund for Arts and Culture, please visit: www.hostos.thankyou4caring.org/Elba-Cabrera

Hostos’ 2024 Annual Scholarship

Benefit Raises Nearly $370,000

Filled with leaders from local businesses and international enterprises, the Foundation’s 2024 Annual Scholarship Benefit gathered passionate individuals who are shaping the future in New York City and beyond. More than 250 friends of the College enjoyed a lively cocktail hour and an excellent performance from a live band, Son Del Monte, while taking in stunning views of the Long Island Sound at Glen Island Harbour Club. The event raised almost $370,000, which will be used to strengthen scholarship funds at the College.

The event, emceed by Monica Morales of PIX11 and the Monica Makes it Happen show, honored four community leaders who have made remarkable contributions in their respective fields. The Foundation would like to recognize the evening’s honorees:

• Sustainability Award: Muhammad “Mo” Baig, Vice President and Regional General Manager Greater Northeast, Trane Technologies

• Health Justice Advocacy Award: Julia Iyasere, MD, Senior Vice President for Health Justice and Equity, Executive Director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Dalio Center for Health Justice

• Community Health and Engagement Award: Kevin Fiori, MD, Director, Community Health Worker Institute, Montefiore Einstein

• Lifetime Medical Research, Scholarship, and Community Health Award: Julianne Imperato-McGinley, MD, Associate Dean for Translational Research, Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Center, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College

Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to the event’s sponsors, whom we recognize at the bottom of this newsletter.

Corporate & Foundation Relations News

Recent Grants

Our foundation and corporate partners help us to create impactful programs and scholarship opportunities. Their outstanding support allows the College to provide unique opportunities, foster a sense of community and belonging, provide emergency resources, remove tuition holds, and encourage successful transfer to four-year institutions. We would like to recognize our partners who have recently pledged their support.

Since our last newsletter, the Foundation has received the following grants:

• $100,000 over two years from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation to expand the Transfer Peer Mentor Program at Hostos.

• $100,000 over two years from the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation in support of the Transfer Peer Mentor Program at Hostos.

• $25,000 over one year from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation in support of the Food Pantry at Hostos.

• $72,000 over one year from Ideas 42 for the Game Design Program’s studio, Other Possible Games, to develop a game about social perceptions of poverty.

• $250,000 over two years from the Booth Ferris Foundation to develop a marketing team for the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture.

• $10,000 from Take-Two/Microsoft in support of the Game Design Programs’ studio, Other Possible Games.

• $5,000 from the Fund for the City of New York in support of the Food Pantry at Hostos.

The Foundation is grateful for this impactful support.

Partnership Highlight

After the pandemic, college enrollment across the country declined. For community colleges, whose state funding is directly tied to enrollment, this had ripple effects—colleges could retain fewer faculty members and offer fewer courses, which made it more difficult for remaining students to get the courses they need. Increasing enrollment was a top priority, and the best place to start was reaching out to the students who had stopped out to encourage them to return. Federal relief funds helped this effort, but when those were going to expire in 2022, the College needed a new way to help these students—some of whom were just one semester away from graduation. SNF listened to the College’s needs and gave $100,000 to create the ReEngagement Program.

The ReEngagement Program helps students remove tuition holds that are preventing them from returning to Hostos. This initiative compliments CUNY-wide efforts to bring back students who stopped out during the pandemic or due to financial limitations. Over the 2023-2024 academic year, the program contributed to the College’s significant enrollment and retention gains. SNF also provides generous support for scholarships though the Annual Scholarship Benefit.



Adriano Coronado ’24 reflected on his reasoning for continuing his degree. “I have a family; being a parent and working while attending college has been arduous. However, I'm convinced that it will set an excellent example for my kids and future generations.” He is currently using the skills he learned at Hostos to manage his own entrepreneurial endeavor, but he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Another student, Leticia Azagsa, shared, “I had no financial aid left, and [this grant] covered my tuition expenses and allowed me to enroll in the classes I wanted..”

The Foundation is deeply grateful to the SNF for its support of Hostos students!

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture News

A New Chapter for the Hostos Art Gallery

After a 23 Year Residency

Hostos Community College is proud to have partnered with the Bronx Council for the Arts (BCA) and the Longwood Arts Project these past 23 years, engaging the public through free programming and fostering artistic expression. We are immensely proud of the Project’s accomplishments during its long residency at the Hostos Art Gallery (formerly, the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos). The decision to conclude the successful partnership will enable us to support diverse artistic voices while also providing our students with valuable exhibition opportunities.

We are grateful to BCA and the Longwood Art Project for their invaluable contributions to the community. This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter for both institutions, and we look forward to exploring innovative ways to collaborate and serve the Bronx.



Read more about this decision here.

Help the HCAC Prepare for a Great Fall Season

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture is preparing an outstanding Fall schedule. If you would like to support the acclaimed programming of the HCAC, consider making a recurring gift to the Elba Cabrera Memorial Fund. This fund honors the legacy of La Madrina De Las Artes by ensuring the South Bronx has access to world-class performing and visual arts.

Want to make a one-time gift? The Sientese campaign will recognize your gift with a permanent name placard on your favorite seat in the house.

To stay informed about our upcoming performances and exhibitions, please subscribe to the HCAC newsletter here.

Alumni News

The Hostos Community College Alumni Spotlight series highlights the remarkable impact that our graduates have on our communities. These insightful and personal accounts from our alumni affirm that the potential of our students knows no bounds, thanks to the transformative power of education and the supportive environment provided by Hostos.

The March spotlight features Dr. Fenix Arias. Though she began her Hostos journey intending to pursue neurology, she found herself drawn to liberal arts and social justice. After two more CUNY degrees and a doctorate from Columbia, she is the chief of operations for Yonkers School District. “Hostos taught me to be inquisitive, to knock on doors and seize opportunities.”

Read her incredible story and catch up on past spotlights here. If you are or know an alumnus or alumna we should interview for our spotlight, reach out to Alumni Relations Manager Felix Sánchez at fsanchez@hostos.cuny.edu.

Scholarship News

The Dr. Nasry Michelin Memorial Endowment



Named for the College’s first president, the Nasry Michelin Memorial Endowment awards high-performing students in the allied health majors. The fund was established by the Nasry Michelin Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Dr. Michelin by empowering students to pursue allied health professions. The endowment matured and was able to start making awards in 2023, and so far, it has benefited 10 students. As an endowed scholarship, this program will continue to provide $1,000 awards to students, year after year.

A previous recipient, Brenny Feliz, reflected on the scholarship’s impact, “In high school, I never really took attending college seriously, because I thought it would be too expensive for my family. However, my counselors and parents convinced me that I should go to college because it would give me so many opportunities... Receiving this scholarship ensured that I am able to continue my studies at Hostos and continue to work as a role model for the next generation of Hispanic college graduates.”

Scholarships, like this one, provide a great incentive for students to pursue in-demand jobs like nursing and dental hygiene. If you would like to learn more about creating a scholarship with unique criteria, contact Development Officer Idelsa Méndez at imendez@hostos.cuny.edu or 718-518-4341.

Thank you to our wonderful

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