The Eugenio María de Hostos Community College Office of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce the first Hostos student awardees of the Joe Alicea Veterans Fund scholarship: Specialist Michael Colón and Petty Officer Second Class Shalikah Ellington. They will each receive $1,000 in support of their academic journey.
 
Michael Colón, a resident of the Bronx, served in the US Army for four years holding the rank of Specialist E4 and was stationed in Ft. Carson, Colorado. Specialist Colón is majoring in Radiologic Technology and is currently on the Dean’s List. He is expected to graduate in the fall-winter semester of 2021 and plans to move ahead towards a bachelor’s degree.
 
Also living in the Bronx, Shalikah Ellington served in the US Navy and held rank of Petty Officer Second Class – PO2/E5. She served for 10 years and was stationed on USS Aircraft Carrier Nimitz. She currently attends Hostos and is majoring in Nursing and anticipates graduating in 2023 and plans on completing her bachelor’s degree at Lehman College.
 
“I’ve been working really hard to finish school and creating a new life after the military. It’s kind of a hard transition. So, this is a boost of hope and I am grateful,” Ellington said of the award. “I will use it to buy books, because nursing textbooks are expensive.”
 
The Joe Alicea Veterans Fund was established in honor of Joseph “Joe” Alicea, long-time Financial Aid Director at Hostos who served the College for over 39 years. Joe Alicea was drafted into the US Army as an Infantry Individual Fire Crewman; designated Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 11-C. He distinguished himself in training on the M-14 and M-16 rifles earning designations as a sharpshooter and expert. After completing his training, Alicea was deployed to Vietnam where he spent his second year in the Army. His awards and honors include the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal (w/2 overseas bars), and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He was honorably discharged.
 
Alicea dedicated his life to Hostos Community College, was always supportive of Veterans, and was adored at the College. Alicea was a CUNY man through and through earning his associate degree at Bronx Community College, his bachelor’s at Lehman College, and his master’s at Baruch. He passed away in 2019 and survived by his wife Ivette Alicea and his two daughters.
 
In appreciation and gratitude of a life dedicated to service, Hostos honors his legacy and hopes that Alicea’s example can be a guide for Veteran students. 
 
Veterans Day, formerly “Armistice Day,” was initially celebrated on November 11, 1919, marking the first anniversary of the end of World War I. November 11 was designated a U.S. national holiday in 1938 to honor those who had fought in the war, and after World War II and the Korean War, the holiday’s name was changed to “Veterans Day.”  
 
Veteran’s Day pays homage to all U.S. veterans for their service and sacrifice. With gratitude, we salute our veterans past and present. Watch the Veterans Day Ceremony here.
 
Letter from the Alicea Family
 
Joe Alicea was truly an institution at Hostos Community College. A CUNY grassroots graduate and administrator for over 40 years, Alicea dedicated his life to his work and his family and impacted the lives of so many faculty, staff and students before his passing in 2019.
 
After barely graduating high school, he lived a rough life in the city just trying to survive. In February of 1968, Alicea was drafted into the U.S. Army as an Infantry Individual Fire Crewman; designated Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 11-C at the mere age of 19.
 
Alicea quickly distinguished himself in training on the M-14 and M-16 rifles earning designations as a Sharpshooter and Expert, respectively. After completing his training, Alicea was deployed to Vietnam where he spent his second year in combat. After three years, Alicea returned home and was honorably discharged. Alicea’s awards and honors include the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal (with two overseas bars), and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
 
A proud Army veteran, he participated in veteran ceremonies each year, but like many veterans, he suffered in silence, never sharing detailed war stories of Vietnam, the sacrifices and losses he endured or even his military accolades. But he always had an uncanny ability to turn negatives into positives and credited his time in service as the pivotal moment that changed his life forever.
 
The core values he learned during his service — loyalty, duty, selfless service, honor and, most of all integrity — became the guiding light for how he lived after he returned home. He used his GI bill and drove a taxi at night to complete his associates from Bronx Community College and became a counselor at Hostos Community College in the Office of Financial Aid. While working full time, he pursued his bachelor's degree from Lehman College and was quickly promoted to Assistant Director of Financial Aid.
 
He saw higher education as a means of personal and professional development and discovered his true passion: selflessly serving underprivileged students and fighting for equitable access to higher education for 30+ years. He encouraged those around him daily to pursue higher education and even as Director went back to night school and completed his masters in Higher Education from Baruch College.
 
Alicea was resilient and relentless in his pursuit of education. He believed in empowering those around him, students who he helped each year but especially members of his staff who he always encouraged to continue their education. He was a true leader, always wanting the best for his team and his family and it's only fitting that there is now a memorial scholarship in his name.
 
The Alicea Family would like to thank Hostos, the entire CUNY system, and everyone who has donated and who will continue to donate, so that this scholarship fund can solidify his passion as a lasting legacy and he can continue to provide access to higher education to all students, especially to our veteran students who have sacrificed so much to serve our country. 
 
Congratulations to Michael Colón and Shalikah Ellington.