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Year-End Newsletter 2023

The Fall semester at Hostos Community College has come to a close, and many students are looking forward to a little break from classes while they celebrate the coming holidays with their families and loved ones. The College, too, has much to celebrate. Our enrollment is up 12%, and we recently received several prestigious recognitions. Our students and alumni continue to attain impressive accolades, and a generous allocation from local officials promises bright opportunities for future Caimans.


But despite so much outstanding news for the College, this has been a tough year for Hostos students—the Bronx still lags behind other boroughs in unemployment, even as median rents in the area have increased 14% and many essential goods like food, clothing, and child care costs continue to rise.



Students remain committed to pursuing a door-opening degree, and our support can help them get there. Scholarships, emergency funds, and services like the Food Pantry at Hostos are more important than ever, and we thank you, our dear friends, for helping to sustain these resources. Learn about upcoming opportunities to connect and engage with the College, as well as recent successes for the Hostos Community College Foundation. 

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Recent News & Events

CUNYTuesday Raises More than $63,000


On Tuesday, November 28, Hostos Community College culminated its CUNYTuesday campaign, which surpassed its $61,000 goal. Donors were asked to help support two vital student resources, the Food Pantry at Hostos and the Circle of 100 Emergency Scholarship Fund, and more than 80 donors rose to the occasion. This year’s campaign forged a new community partnership, inspired two new scholarship funds, and our special event Nourishing Conversations: Chef Grace Ramírez Journey to Combat Food Insecurity was filled with career insights for students, thoughtful insights on food justice policy, and—most importantly—a cooking demonstration for a delicious, healthy ceviche. You can read more about our outstanding CUNYTuesday, and you can still make a year-end gift here.

Gift of Philanthropy Event Celebrates Donor Impact


At a well-attended gathering in the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos, donors and College leaders celebrated the power of philanthropy to affect change for students and further the mission of Hostos. The festive event served as a chance to thank donors for their remarkable contributions, which helped the Division of Institutional Advancement to surpass its fiscal year 2023 goal, added two new programs, and established two new endowed and two new current use scholarship funds, just to name a few accomplishments. Read more about the event here.

Foundation Board Members Volunteer Expertise at Business Management Industry Summit



On Thursday, November 16, Hostos Community College held its third Industry Summit, a bi-annual series designed to provide real-world insights on the expectations, challenges and opportunities in specific industries. At the Business Management Industry Summit, which focused on “Careers, Curriculum, Achievements and Opportunities,” Board members Jose Dios, Amarilis Jacobo, D.D.S., Julio Reyes, and Stephanie Santiago Tkach joined Hostos Business faculty, local leaders, and deans from Lehman and Baruch to share their insights and recommendations on how to prepare for and enjoy successful careers in business management in any industry. On behalf of the College, thank you to our dedicated Board members for sharing your valuable insights! Read more here.

Save the Dates for our 2024 Events


  • The Hostos Community College Foundation Gala will be on Thursday, May 9, 2024
  • The Golf Outing will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2024.


Save the dates and join us to celebrate the impact of your giving at Hostos.

Corporate and Foundation

Relations News

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


  • $150,000 over two years from the Howard Gilman Foundation to support the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture.


The Foundation is grateful for this impactful support. 

Alumni News

Alumni Events

Alumni Relations Hosts Successful SLA Alumni Reunion


Alumni of our prestigious Student Leadership Academy (SLA) gathered on November 2 for the first ever SLA Alumni Reunion. Past and current leaders connected over shared experiences and reflected on the remarkable impact this program had on their lives. Alumni of the program are now entrepreneurs, local leaders, and medical professionals, and many of them credit their success to the confidence and skills they honed in SLA. Read more about the event and see pictures here

Alumni Celebrate the Season at the Holiday Mixer


On Thursday, December 14, alumni, faculty, staff, and current students celebrated the holiday season at a festive Holiday Alumni Mixer. Revelers enjoyed light refreshments as they reconnected with their alma mater and former classmates. Read more about the event and see pictures here

Our most recent spotlight showcases the Advincola brothers, four brothers who attended Hostos at the same time and are now thriving in advanced programs and careers. Learn more about these inspiring siblings and peruse our 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.

Hostos Center

for the Arts & Culture (HCAC) News

Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture Wraps Up a Great Season


The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture (HCAC) is closing out its second fully in-person season back at 100% capacity since COVID-related shut downs, and the audience reception has been overwhelming. Patrons filled the theaters for original plays, several concerts, the South Bronx Folk Festival, and attended two art exhibitions in the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos. Our artist in residence, Eric Avilés staged an original play and hosted workshops for the community. The sold-out Tito Puente Retrospective on November 16 featured never-before-heard songs, and Joe Conzo Sr., led a Latin Jazz workshop.


Due to ongoing website maintenance, the Center is currently unable to post regular programming updates. To stay informed about our upcoming performances and exhibitions, please subscribe to the HCAC newsletter here

Program Spotlights

The Food Pantry at Hostos



The Food Pantry at Hostos opened in 2013 to offer nutrition assistance for students who were struggling to afford basic necessities while they worked toward their degrees. The pantry receives generous annual support from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, the New York Yankees Foundation and New York City Council, however, with recent rising food costs and increased enrollment, the Food Pantry is struggling to keep shelves stocked. The Food Pantry is visited over 1,000 times a year, and it provides support for more than 4,000 individuals in the community through our students. In addition to shelf-stable goods, the Food Pantry manages fresh food box giveaways and coordinates holiday food distributions. To make a gift in support of the food pantry, visit www.GivetoHostos.com

The Pedro Pérez-Cabezas Memorial Scholarship



Pedro M. Pérez-Cabezas, also known as Shambho, grew up in Washington Heights and the Bronx. He believed it was important to give back to his community. Pedro provided support to senior citizens in his neighborhood in the Bronx, taught robotics and tutored low-income middle and high school students in math, and volunteered in the community. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering.

His family created the Pedro Pérez-Cabezas Memorial Scholarship to support students that are studying engineering, math, or computer science and who plan to use what they learned at Hostos to give back to their community. For his family, this scholarship is an important way to remember Pedro’s legacy and the value he placed on giving back to his community and sharing what he learned with other young people.


So far, eight student recipients have been able to further their dreams thanks to this scholarship fund. Recipients expressed their desire to better their communities, both here in New York and internationally. As one of our only scholarships dedicated solely to students pursuing degrees in math, engineering and computer science, it has been a great boost to students.


A recent recipient reflected, “Being the first one in my family to come to the United States, I set a goal to always do my best to make my family proud. My parents made a sacrifice to allow me to pursue better opportunities. Bring an international student is my biggest challenge because I can’t get federal financial aid. This scholarship is very appreciated!”


Scholarships, like this one, provide a multi-generational boost, uplifting students emotionally and financially. If you’d 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.

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