Hostos Community College is thrilled to share that alumna Hawa Abraham (Class of ’23) has been selected as the Region South winner of the 2023 Charles A. Burns Outstanding Adult Continuing Education Student Award, for which she will receive a $1000 scholarship prize.
“Once again, we find ourselves applauding the remarkable achievements of Hawa Abraham, an accomplished and driven young woman who represents the best of Hostos,” said Hostos President, Daisy Cocco De Filippis. “Hawa has persisted through so many challenges in pursuit of her goals, and she has shown time and again that determination, hard work and clear objectives can carve a path to a successful career. We at Hostos have been delighted to support Hawa on her journey and to help set her up for future and evidently continuous success.”
The award is given in the honor and memory of Charles “Chuck” A. Burns, a long-time member of the Continuing Education Association of New York (CEANY) and advocate of continuing education.
“We greatly admire Hawa's unrelenting commitment and diligence throughout their educational journey and their ability to overcome various obstacles,” shared Shermira Busby, CEANY Recognition and Awards Committee Chair.
Originally from Sierra Leone, Abraham left her home country due to a decade-long civil war, lived as a refugee in neighboring Guinea, then moved to Liberia where she studied nursing before immigrating with her family to the U.S. She shifted her focus to public health when she noticed disparities in healthcare information and resource access in communities of color locally, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abraham began her journey at Hostos in the Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development’s Allied Health Career Pipeline Program, which lays the foundation for participants to get back into the job market. As a matriculated student, she completed a MacKenzie Scott Initiative-supported internship at Argus Community, and in her final year at the College she was one of three students selected for the inaugural NextGen Public Health Scholars 2+2+2 program, which provides full tuition coverage, a stipend, and more for Hostos students pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University — where she is now studying.