The leaves have turned, the temperature has dropped, we’re nearly through the Thanksgiving leftovers and now we can almost smell the flan. As we enter the season of giving, the Hostos Community College Foundation wishes to extend its gratitude to you — our friends and community partners who support Hostos and its students in so many ways. You are an important part of the Hostos family, helping us to fulfill the mission of the College. Thank you for being a part of this community.
We are pleased to share our recent news, and we hope to see you at an upcoming event!
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November 29 was CUNY Tuesday, and the Hostos family, once again, showed its love for our students by giving generously of themselves. So far, Hostos has raised more than $56,000 to support scholarships, and we extend our special thanks to Michael Potack and Stuart and Randi Feiner for their inspiring $15,000 matching gifts. We are grateful to all those who gave, as well as the 40+ students who participated in our Thank You campaign. Keep an eye out for their notes in the next week.
If you forgot to give, it’s not too late! You can still go to the CUNY Tuesday website to set up your recurring or one-time gift.
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Hostos Community College 55th Anniversary Gala | |
The Foundation will soon be finalizing the date of our 2023 Gala, which will celebrate the 55th Anniversary of the College. Please stay tuned for details, and we look forward to celebrating 55 years of student achievement together.
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Alumni, faculty and staff are invited to the Office of Alumni Relations' Holiday Mixer on Dec. 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the A-Atrium. Light refreshments will be served, so stop by for an evening of connection and conviviality before the holidays. If you wish to attend, please RSVP using this link by December 9. If you have trouble with the link, please try opening it on the Google Chrome browser or contact Felix Sánchez directly. | |
The Eugenio María de Hostos Community College Foundation hosted its 16th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic on Thursday, October 6, 2022. After nearly a full week of rain, attendees were greeted by crystal blue skies and a beautiful autumn day at Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Courses in Pelham Bay Park. The well-attended affair raised nearly $122,000 to bolster scholarships and create opportunities for students at Hostos Community College.
The Foundation would like to express its profound gratitude to all those who attended and supported the event, especially the sponsors of this year’s Golf Outing Classic: Title Sponsors, ABM and MADDD Equities; Classic Sponsors, Montefiore Einstein and Schindler, U.S.; and our Lunch Sponsors, Ultimate Abstract of New York, BronxCare Health System, Newmark, Aetna and Oyate Group.
To read more about the outing, click here.
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Save the Date!
Next year’s Golf Outing Classic will return to
Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Courses in September.
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Hostos Community College alumna Ischia Bravo ’09 was recently appointed as the County Clerk for Bronx County at the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, effective January 2, 2023. We are extremely proud of Ms. Bravo, who has been recognized in our Third Annual Alma Maters Awards and featured in an Alumni Spotlight. Ms. Bravo’s work inspires us all and positively impacts our community. Congratulations, Ischia! | |
New Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships
The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to announce the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships. The intended fund gives alumni a way to honor the impact of their Hostos degree by providing empowering support to current students who want to further their academic career at a four-year institution. If you’re an alum, consider making your year-end gift to the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships using this link.
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The Offices of Alumni Relations and Career Services hosted an exceptional Career Talks Week. The five interactive panel discussions drew audiences from current students, faculty and staff. Fourteen alumni shared their experience in engineering, computer science and math, criminal justice, and food studies and discussed how Hostos had prepared them for success. | |
On Thursday, November 17, the Office of Alumni Relations teamed up with Student Development and Enrollment Management to host the first Alumni Basketball Game. The AlumNiners defeated the AlumKnights in a close game. In addition to a jovial game, the crowd of students, alumni, faculty and staff enjoyed a half-time free-throw contest. Lucky attendee and Hostos alumnus Stan Céspedes won the grand prize, two tickets to a Knicks game. Of course, the Hostos Caiman came out to cheer on our teams. Many thanks to everyone who attended this inaugural event, and we look forward to seeing everyone next year! | |
The Aging and Health Studies Unit Celebrates 20 Years
of Impact and Bids a Fond Farewell to Professor Eunice Flemister
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On Thursday, September 22, the Hostos Community College’s Aging and Health Studies Unit, the Office of Alumni Relations, and community partners gathered to celebrate 20 years of successful gerontology alumni at Hostos and to mark the bittersweet retirement of a beloved professor, Eunice Flemister.
Professor Flemister has collaborated with the Office of Alumni Relations and Division of Institutional Advancement to create plans for an intended scholarship that would be available to students in the aging and health studies unit. If you would like to make a contribution to help this intended scholarship reach the $5,000 threshold to set unique criteria, make a gift here.
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Hostos Helps Students Have a Happy Thanksgiving | |
On November 22, 2022, the Health and Wellness- One Stop office handed out Thanksgiving meals, including chicken and side dishes, to more than 150 students. In addition, the Division of Institutional Advancement secured food vouchers from the New York Yankees that students can use to supplement the Hostos Food Pantry offerings.
President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance Esther Rodríguez-Chardavoyne, and Vice President of Student Development Enrollment Management La Toro Yates greeted students with encouragement, warm holiday wishes, and, of course, some food and grocery assistance to make their holidays bright. The President remarked that she was happy to meet the future of Hostos – the children of the our current students.
Students from the Student Government Association (SGA), Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, and the Student Leadership Academy volunteered during the event. SGA Senator Nasrin Akter commented on the event, stating, "This is an outstanding experience meeting new people and helping each other. I look forward to volunteering next year.”
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Did you know that Hostos can accept gifts from IRAs, stock portfolios, and estate plans? In making such gifts, some individuals and/or their families may benefit from tax incentives.
Gifts of all types and sizes will ensure that the College can invest in impactful programs and better enable the College recruit, retain, and advance students. Please consider the many options available for future giving and help us to develop conscientious, future-ready leaders with an enduring love of learning and myriad opportunities for socioeconomic mobility.
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Marketable Securities – It’s easy to make a gift of marketable securities directly to Hostos. In fact, you may even avoid or reduce your capital gains taxes and qualify for an income tax deduction by doing so.
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Gifts from Your IRA – If you are 70 ½ or older, you may be able to exclude from taxable income—and count toward your required minimum distribution (RMD)—certain transfers of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets that are made directly to Hostos.
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Planned Gifts – The simplest way to make a planned gift is to name Hostos as a beneficiary in your will or trust. You can also name Hostos as the beneficiary of retirement assets or a life insurance policy.
Please discuss these options with your financial planner, attorney, or tax advisor. For an overview of these options, visit www.GivetoHostos.com.
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The Hostos Community College Foundation Board is pleased to introduce four new members. | |
Madeline V. Marquez, SVP and Chief External Affairs Officer at Ponce Bank
Ms. Marquez joined Ponce Bank in February 2017 as an SVP. By 2018, she was promoted to Chief External Affairs Officer. She oversees the CRA component of the Bank, all community affairs events, SBA initiatives, CDFI initiatives, community development programing, and the nonprofit initiative. Ms. Marquez also serves as the executive director of the Ponce De Leon Foundation and oversees governmental affairs for the Bank.
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Edwin Salas, Founder and CEO of Salcare Home Health Services, Inc.
Mr. Salas entered the field of home health care in 1982, providing services to the underserved, minority communities of in the New York City metropolitan area. In his 40-year career, he has championed the rights and dignity of aging community members through his nonprofit and community service, as well as through his leadership of several home health aide placement and training services. Mr. Salas has also recently initiated an effort to fashion home care services for the Veteran community in New York City.
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Teresa A. Santiago, Founder and CEO of T.A.S. Communications
Ms. Santiago is a founding member, the chairperson, and the driving force behind Comité Noviembre: Puerto Rican Heritage Month, a 36-year-old, nonprofit member organization that promotes and celebrates Puerto Rican culture and heritage throughout the country. Under her leadership, Comité Noviembre established several initiatives, including its annual fundraising benefit, the Comité Noviembre Day of Community Service and Social Responsibility, four scholarship award programs, the annual National Puerto Rican Artisan Fair & Book Expo and poster exhibit, the educational and cultural trip to Puerto Rico: Buscando Nuestra Raíces, and the ESTOY CON PUERTO RICO Disaster Relief Effort.
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Stephanie Santiago Tkach, Northeast Regional Manager at Rivian
When Ms. Tkach began her career, she was the only woman on a sales team of 15. She has made it a focus of her career to be a changemaker, and she joined Uber to empower women, Latinas, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the South Bronx. Since leaving Uber to join Rivian, she has taken an active role in improving the experience of women in the automotive industry through mentoring, coaching, and hiring.
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Foundation and Corporate Relations News |
Since our last newsletter, the following grants have been awarded to the Hostos Community College Foundation.
- The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation -- $135,000 over two years to support Petrie Emergency Student Grants
- The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation -- $160,000 over 18 months to support the Peer Leaders in Supplemental Instruction program
- The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation -- $100,000 over two years to establish the Transfer Peer Mentor Program at Hostos Community College
- JPMorgan Chase -- $25,000 over one year to support the Center for Bronx Nonprofits
- Coalition of Theaters of Color -- $130,000 in support of the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture
The Foundation is most grateful for this generous, impactful support.
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Scholarship Spotlight:
Feiner Family and Special Needs Emergency Fund
| After reading an article about a Hostos student facing financial challenges in The New York Times, Stuart and Randi Feiner reached out to learn how they could help. After funding tuition for a small number of students, they decided to broaden their impact through the creation of a scholarship fund with two sets of qualifying criteria: The Feiner Family Fund Scholarship for Extenuating Circumstances and The Feiner Family Fund Scholarship for Financial Need. Since it was first awarded in 2019, this fund has granted more than $50,000 to 81 students, empowering them to persevere toward their academic goals. | For recent graduate Sada Johnson, the Feiner Family and Special Needs Scholarship for Financial Need helped her to support her family while she finished her degree in community health. |
To learn more about how you can make a lasting impact on Hostos students with a named or endowed scholarship, contact Idelsa Méndez. |
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