Ana Garcia Reyes; Nathaniel Cruz; Victor Rivera; Elizabeth C Berman, Inca Kola; Charito Cisneros, Hon. Diego Gómez Pickering
Left to right: Associate Dean Ana Garcia Reyes; SDEM Vice President Nathaniel Cruz;
1199SEIU Vice President Victor Rivera; Elizabeth C. Berman, President and CEO of
Continental Food and Beverage Inca Kola; Charito Cisneros , Founder & CEO - The N.Y.
Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce, and the Hon. Diego Gómez
Pickering, Ambassador and Consul General of México.
 
National Hispanic Heritage Month was celebrated at Hostos with an event honoring various distinguished Latino leaders on October 7.  
 
President David Gómez congratulated the honorees and welcomed the attendees. President Gómez talked about Hostos being both an anchor institution in the South Bronx, which has proudly served a large Latino population and how the College’s namesake, Eugenio María de Hostos, served the same mission during the greater part of the 19th century across both South and Central America.

Hostos Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management Nathaniel Cruz gave warm welcoming remarks, and he was also pleasantly surprised to be recognized as one of Hostos’ Latino leaders. VP Cruz was honored along with the following distinguished Latino Leaders honorees: the Hon. Ambassador/ Consul General of Mexico Diego Gómez Pickering; the Hon. Julissa Ferreras Copeland, New York City Council Member; Mr. Victor Rivera, 1199SEIU‐UHWE Vice President; Elizabeth Chalas Berman, President and CEO of Continental Food and Beverage, Inc; and Mrs. Charito Cisneros, Founder & CEO - The N.Y. Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce.
 
Hostos Student Government Association (SGA) President Willie Baez Lara also addressed the crowd with moving remarks.
 
The College received several proclamations and citations for its role in changing lives in the South Bronx and beyond from: The Office of NYS Assembly Member & Chair of NYS Hispanic Task Force Marcos A. Crespo; The Office of NYS Governor, Andrew Cuomo; The Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, represented by Mónica Majors, and Director of Education and the Office of NY City Public Advocate, Letitia James.
 
“It is an indescribable honor to address and salute the distinguished Latino Leaders and guests. Their contributions across the city and surrounding community is immensely appreciated. Their work in conjunction with the work of our own makes it possible for our students to achieve their dreams in a collaborative manner,” Dean Garcia Reyes said.
 
At the event, Nursing Students Delilah Arocho and Rosaly Pichardo received the 1199SEIU scholarships of $1,000 each.

 
(Left)1199SEIU Vice President Victor Rivera with Hostos Nursing students scholarship recipients Delilah Arocho and Rosaly Pichardo. (Right) Hostos President David Gómez receiving Citation from the office of Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras.
(Left)1199SEIU Vice President Victor Rivera with Hostos Nursing students scholarship
recipients Delilah Arocho and Rosaly Pichardo. (Right) Hostos President David Gómez
 
receiving Citation from the office of Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras.
 
Rafael Torrres and Soldanela Rivera from the President’s Office served as MCs, as musical entertainment was provided by Emmanuel Diaz from the Humanities Department. The event was coordinated by Associate Dean for Community Relations Ana García Reyes, in collaboration with the Division of Institutional Advancement colleagues Jose Garcia, Nydia Edgecombe and Idelsa Mendez. Special thanks to Inca Kola and 1199SEIU for their sponsorship and scholarships.
 
Special thanks are also due to President David Gomez, Vice President Nathaniel Cruz, SVP Esther Rodríguez-Chardavoyne, Victor Santana, Nelson Ortiz, Rafael Torres, Soldanela Rivera and Denice Caba for their support.

About National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month – “Authorized in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, National Hispanic Heritage Month was a week-long occasion, but Congress extended it to a full month in 1988. On September 12, President Barack Obama recognized Hispanics as a vibrant and thriving population of the U.S. "Their histories and cultures stretch across centuries and the contributions of those who come to our shores today in search of their dreams continue to add new chapters in our national story."  Said President Obama. Every year Hispanic Heritage Month is commemorated from September 15 - October 15 and during this period, the rich legacy of the Hispanic/ Latino community and countless achievements is celebrated.

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.

Hostos offers 29 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 500,000 students at 24 colleges.
 
THE HOSTOS’ HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION IS POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SPONSORSHIP
OF THE DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT/OFFICE OF THE ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR
COMMUNITY RELATIONS; DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE; THE OFFICE OF
THE PRESIDENT; THE CONFERENCE CENTER AND INCA KOLA.

SPECIAL THANKS ARE ALSO DUE TO THE NEW YORK CITY AND NEW YORK STATE ELECTED
OFFICIALS AS WELL AS THE MEXICAN COALITION FOR THEIR SUPPORT.