Visionary Award

Yraida is a dental clinical instructor at Eastern International College in Jersey

Aponte-Lipski, Yraida ‘94 City, New Jersey. Her vast expertise has allowed her to effectively train the
next generation of dental hygienists, empowering them to excel and succeed.
For the last, 6 years, Denisse has been a leader in the Human Resources area.
Batista, Denisse ‘12
She is currently the Director of Human Resources at Pain D’Avignon.
Mr. Contreras was a work-study student in the Education department and
demonstrated his passion for the health field. As a community health major,
he was very enthusiastic and passionate about becoming a health professional.
Contreras, Oscar ‘17
During working hours, Mr. Contreras showed responsibility, commitment and
excitement to learn. He strives to give his best and he is a good example of
firmness, persistence and success.
After obtaining his associate degree from Hostos, Robinson has served in
numerous roles centered on helping individuals discover their potential. He was
director of operations for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting and he is now the
De Jesus, Robinson ‘97
co-founder and CEO of Efficient Advice, LLC. Robinson is an essential speaker
of the Hostos Community College Alumni Speakers Bureau where he inspires
students to persevere and reach their goals.
As a senator in the student government of Hostos, Rokia addressed student
grievances with the administration of the school. She listened to students and
their anxieties over ICE and their deportation concerns. With the help of the
lawyers on campus, they drafted a document to prevent the administration
from divulging the student’s information without a warrant. Through Rokia’s
Diabi, Rokia ‘17
efforts at Hostos, the college-wide senate passed the document, and it became
a policy. Additionally, she advocated for DACA students in Albany with the
Ernesto Malave Leadership Program. She lobbied elected officials to pass the
Dream Act. Through all the advocacy work, she developed a desire to work in
the legal profession.
A member of the Alumni Speakers Bureau, Sayonara is an advocate for
students in need. Besides her generosity with our student scholarships,
Diaz, Sayonara ‘17
Sayonara is always looking forward to create ways to deliver assistance to
students especially those who are international students.
Master’s degree in Data Analytics from SNHU, Joined one of the big 4 KPMG as
Duran, Rosanny ‘14
a Senior Associate Data Quality.
Phillip is the incumbent Manhattan Borough Advocate at the office of the NYC
Public Advocate led by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Philip manages and
executes the community affairs strategy in the borough of Manhattan. He acts
as the bridge between technology, data, and development to foster the
Ellison, Philip David ‘14 intersection between community education, engagement and technology. He
cross-functionally launches and supports citywide advocacy campaigns,
initiatives, and partnership building opportunities, in addition to managing
intergovernmental relations in Manhattan, and information gathering and
dissemination.
Angelica was part of the Hostos Community College CLIP program and was
actively involved in the Hostos Student Leadership Academy as a member of
the volunteer corps. In September 2014, Angelica started as a part-time
Herrera DeLeon Almonte, student at Hostos pursuing a Nursing major, which she eventually changed into
Angelica ‘18 aging and Health Studies, also known as Gerontology. As an undocumented
student, she had to pay for classes out of pocket, which slowed her graduation
progress. After becoming a full-time student, she was moved from the
volunteer corps to the Emerging Leaders program of the Leadership Academy.
 During her time at Hostos, she enjoyed learning new skills and meeting new
people through this extracurricular activity. Through the Leadership Academy,
she was able to become more proactive in her studies, focusing on the things
that she wanted to learn and how she could help people and give back to the
community that surrounded her. This academy and the people in it helped her
to grow out of her comfort zone and challenge herself more and more each
day. She was able to integrate with different nationalities and cultural during
international conferences; it made her more eager to take action to make or
promote a change in a broken system.
Hostos alumna Samantha Jackson holds master’s degrees from Columbia
University and Brown University, and bachelor’s degree from Columbia
University. She is a recipient of many awards among which include: collegiate
scholarships, grants, Congressional and U.S. State Department fellowships, as
Jackson, Samantha
well as a multitude of study abroad programs, the most recent of which was
Harvard in Ghana study abroad. Prior to beginning her diplomatic career with
the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Jackson worked at the investment banking
firm, Goldman Sachs.
Yunerys has been an essential leader of the Hostos Community College
Liriano, Yunerys ‘15 Student Government Association. Her role as a senator has brought many
benefits for students in general.
He is a Hostos Community College alumnus, who served as the Student
Government President from 2015-2016 and previously served as a senator in
the SGA in 2014-2015. Saint was a member of the Hostos Student Leadership
Academy and Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society. He was also a
part of the 2015 National Model United Nations Team. He is the director of
Mbakop, Saint ‘16
sales and marketing at New York City Books, training specialist with the
commercial learning and development division of AmerisourceBergen. He is an
entrepreneur, a real estate consultant and trainer, an international speaker and
coach, and the author of eight books among which are: “Wisdom,” “How to
Sell Your House For More Money” and “The Homebuyers Guide.”
After his graduation from Hostos Community College, John has exceled in
many areas of higher education. He has served as an adjunct for Bronx
Meche, John ‘05 Community College and adjunct lecturer for the College of Staten Island. John
is also the project director of the Black Male Initiative, which aims to fortify the
high school to college process for economically disadvantaged student groups.
Michele Quintero discovered acting in middle school and attended Hostos
Community College, where she was a part of Hostos Repertory Theatre
Company. She received an award for Excellence in Theatre and was nominated
to participate in the American College Theatre Festival and competed for the
Quintero Williams- Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship in spring 2010. She graduated from Hostos with
Walker, Michele ‘14 an associate in the arts and then furthered her education at Purchase College,
where she studied theater and performance. She started her Off- Broadway
career just two weeks after graduation in 2014. She has also done film work
including “Pocket Full of Game” in which she played a judge (now streaming on
Tubi).
This has been such a trying year for all of us, between Coronavirus, rising
unemployment, and the riots and destruction in our streets. With such unrest,
quality of life has plummeted for many. For Amabelle, activism has been an
Rodriguez, Amabelle ‘12 outlet to stay proactive on a multi-level platform of communication within her
community. Through grassroots and social media work, she has been
communicating with local business as well as city agencies to bring awareness,
accountability, and resolutions to issues on the forefront in today's society. She

Urena Morales, Tenisha
‘17
Velas, Walter ‘15
Acosta-Ippolito, Fiordaliza
‘08
Almanzar, Ana
Aquino, Fernando ‘04
Arroyo, Carmen E.
Arroyo, Maria del Carmen
Bravo, Ischia ‘09
Cosme Ruiz, Ricardo ‘10
has used Twitter as a platform to be a voice on various topics, ranging from
lack of sanitation to street violence. The question she posed is, "How can we
as a collective community work together to achieve quality of life? Last spring
Bella led a group of tenants in her neighborhood to fight against landlords in
the area who were taking advantage of people who did not know that they had
rights guaranteed by the City. Her efforts helped many NYC tenants. She also
provided support to Hostos students as a mentor and speaker at a number of
activities.
Tenisha is nominated because, at Child & Family Support Services, she secured
a $7,000 grant to support a day habilitation program for adults with IDD. They
aged out of high school but needed to learn skills for gainful employment. The
program provided them with laptops and workshop field trips for professional
development.
As a new immigrant in New York, Hostos was the foundation for Walter’s
success. It opened several doors that made him realize that he could do more
for the community. During his time at Hostos, Walter did not only earn an
associate degree, he also acquired leadership skills by participating in the
Student Leadership Academy and Student Government Association. Walter said
that, “with guidance and encouragement from educators, coaches, and
mentors, I continue working towards my educational goals.”
Community Impact Award
Fiordaliza has served the community with distinction, honor, and great
character. She has consistently demonstrated that she is a confident, and
inspirational leader with amazing potential. She has gained accolades and
award certification.
Ana is currently the chief of staff to the interagency coordinator for nonprofits
under the office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Her early beginnings at
Hostos set the mark for many accomplishments in her career and education.
Former New York State Senate and New York State Attorney General Press
Secretary, Fernando Aquino has proudly represented the communities he
serves with exemplary leadership and commitment. His advocacy and
relentlessness are a beacon of hope for many of our citizens.
Carmen Arroyo was elected to the New York State Assembly 84th District,
which covers most of the South Bronx area. She was the first Hispanic female
elected to this position, and she fought against many social issues involving
drug abuse and alcoholism.
Maria del Carmen Arroyo was a councilperson for the 17th District of the New
York City Council. She is the daughter of Carmen Arroyo, who was also a
political figure in The Bronx.
A promising role model, Ischia is a current candidate for the 15th District of
the New York City Council. She is currently serving as a district manager at
the Bronx Community Board 7. Ischia focuses on delivering opportunities to
misrepresented individuals, women equality and community empowerment.
A graduate of our public administration major, Ricardo has held diverse
positions in government centered on organization and effectiveness. He is
currently the executive director of intergovernmental & community affairs at
Neighborhood Association for Inter-Cultural Affairs (NAICA).
 Lina has been a resourceful alumna to our institution. While at Hostos, she
worked as an ESL tutor, helping students develop their writing and reading
Cruz, Lina ‘11 skills. Nowadays, she continues being an instrumental community outreach
professional working as the manager of multicultural affairs for the New York
Yankees organization, providing resources to our students and alumni group.
After graduating from our public administration major, Carlos went on to
become an important City of New York employee working as a senior project
Garcia Carlos ‘03 manager for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. He
has been instrumental in helping New Yorkers with diverse housing
accommodations especially during the current pandemic.
Ana truly embodies the spirit of Hostos. As an alumna, she continues to serve
Hostos by volunteering to mentor and inform students in the community
Granata, Ana ‘19 health degree about future career and academic options. After graduating
from Hostos, Ms. Granata enrolled in a joint BS/MA degree in policy at John
Jay and will be completing the bachelor’s portion of the joint degree this year.
Kennedy, Augusto ‘12 Biography details are being compiled
Haile is the founder and executive director of Hands on New York, Inc. As a
Hostos student, Haile was a prominent member of our Student Government
Rivera, Haile ‘03 Association where he served as President. He has also held diverse
community leadership positions among them within the Dominican Republic
Consulate of New York.
Jimmy embodies diverse accomplishments. He has been the DOE Bronx Pre-K
Community Coordinator, a Bronx Community Board 4 member, an advisory
council member of Equality NY, and vice president of Stonewall Democratic
Rivera, Jimmy ‘10
Club of NYC. He has also served as a Committee Board member of LGBTQ
2021, an advisor to New York City Council 2021 candidates and a Bronx
delegate candidate for Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Golvis was an active leader in the Hostos Student Government Association.
Tavarez, Golvis ‘19 His innate leadership has led him to become a community engagement
specialist at the New York City Health+Hospitals System.
Toledo, Avery Samuel ‘12 Biography details are being compiled
A proud member of our 1976 graduating class, Francisco is an arts and crafts
Vallejo, Francisco ‘76 professional with a distinctive focus on the Hispanic culture. He is currently an
arts and craft workshop instructor at the New York City Public Library.
Natoya Webster is a great mom. She is very hard working currently she holds
a job as an intermediate file clerk in Westchester County. After graduating
Webster, Natoya ‘12
from Hostos Community College, she held a job as a home health aide where
she extended herself to the patients that she took care of.

Frontline Honorable Mention Award

Baez, Joselyn ‘12 Registered Nurse at Montefiore Hospital

Bell, Siobhan Michelle Siobhan has provided physical and medical care for both COVID-19 and non-
‘16 COVID-19 diagnosed patients ensuring they receive the best care possible.
Tameka is currently a 911 operator and communications technician for the New
Cassaberry, Tameka ‘19 York Police Department. Her diligence has been instrumental coordinating
different assistance efforts. Although she faces a large amount of stress due to
 the nature of her responsibilities, Tameka’s professionalism makes her an
exemplary leader among first responders.
Since graduating from the Hostos Lincoln Academy of Science (HLA) in 2011,
Dr. Arlene Castillo has gone above and beyond in her medical career. Shortly
after graduating from the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, Dr.
Castillo, Arlene ‘11
Castillo will be training for four years at Montefiore Hospital anesthesiology
residency to become an anesthesiologist. She looks forward to serving her
community.
Coulibaly, Aminata, ‘10 Registered Nurse at Harlem Hospital

Cruz, Jimmy ‘82 Radiology Technician at Stony Brook University Medical Center
Daisy graduated in 2014 from the nursing program and started working
promptly. She began working in facilities in Westchester County, but felt
Fuentes, Daisy ‘14 unfulfilled. She returned to the community where she was raised. She went
back to school and started working at the emergency department at Lincoln
Hospital, nearby Hostos.
Karen Garcia, MSN-Ed, RN, CEN., has been an essential first responder at
Lincoln Hospital. Thanks to her nursing expertise, she has been able to train
Garcia, Karen ‘12
others on effective caring services, which have proved unmatched during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Heredia, Rosa, ‘07 Staff Nurse at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health
Dave is a US Navy veteran awarded with the Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal. As a proud graduate of our nursing program, Dave
Longno, Dave ‘14
currently works as team leader and dialysis technician at the Renal Research
Institute.
Dr. Elvin Méndez serves as an anesthesiology resident at Long Island Jewish
Medical Center and Northshore University Hospital. With scheduled elective
Mendez, Elvin ‘10
operations on pause in New York, he was redeployed to the intensive care unit
(ICU), where he helps care for patients in critical condition.
Derick is a graduate of our digital music major. He is working as a flight
Moore, Derick ‘13
attendant with JetBlue.
Andre is a train operator with NYC Metro Transit Authority who was transporting
Morgan, Andre ‘11
nurses, doctors, and other first responders.
Olivar-Awad, Maria ‘16 Registered Nurse at Montefiore Hospital

Rolon, Frances ‘16 Nursing graduate

Salimata, Yoda Registered Nurse at Lincoln Hospital and Bronx Lebanon

Salimata serves as a Nurse at Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home. A twelve-
Seck, Salimata ‘16 year veteran, she is in charge of patient care and medication administration for
the elderly population.
Segura, Laura ‘20 Dental Hygienist
Spencer, Kiyasha ‘07 Registered Nurse at Lincoln Hospital in ICU, NICU L&D
As a registered nurse at Bronx Lebanon Special Care Center. Doreen led the
Tomlinson, Doreen ‘12
unit as a charge nurse during the high peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Katherine is a police officer for the NYPD. Katherine has been protecting
Triunfel, Katherine ‘10
individuals with due diligence, especially since the pandemic started.
Valerio-Arias, Fevidaury Hostos nursing alumna Fevidaury Valerio Arias, ’17, is a licensed practical nurse
‘17 at one of Metropolitan Jewish Hospital Services’ nursing homes, where she has
 worked for two and a half years. While she generally enjoys her job very much,
it has been an especially tough time for the Hostos graduate as she serves on
the COVID-19 crisis frontlines.
Washington, James ‘08 Registered Nurse at Bronx Lebanon

Honorable Mention Award

Adams, Randolph ‘72 Biography details are being compiled

Basora, Crusairy ‘19 Biography details are being compiled

Brown, Deandra ‘20 Biography details are being compiled

A graduate of our community health program, Lisett has been a stellar social
Caba, Lisett ‘13 services professional helping families in need. She currently works for Urban
Health Plan as a WIC outreach assistant.
Campos, Genesis ‘19 Biography details are being compiled
Dr. Mirkeya Capellán is responsible for IT training, resource management, and
strategic projects at the Mercedes-Benz US corporate office in Atlanta, GA. Dr.
Capellan, Mirkeya ‘90
Capellán is also an adjunct professor at Pace University where she teaches
undergraduate courses in computing.
Ramon is a successful higher education professional. With more than ten years
of experience working at Hostos, Ramon continued developing his career
De Los Santos, Ramon
becoming the director of the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
‘01
at LaGuardia Community College. His level of work at this position earned him
the role of interim assistant dean for Student Affairs.
Ekweji, Josiah ‘19 Biography details are being compiled
Feliberto graduated from the civil engineering program while being an active
leader of our Student Government Association. He serves as an adjunct
Feliz, Feliberto ‘15
professor at Hostos and as a mathematics teacher at the NYC Department of
Education.
Keywan successfully completed our business management program, which
Fowler, Keywan ‘18 tremendously helped him become a leader in our Fatherhood Academy.
Keywan is also an active speaker as part of our Alumni Speakers Bureau.
Green, Janel ‘20 Biography details are being compiled
Karla currently serves as Food Justice Leadership Fellow for the CUNY Urban
Ignacio, Karla ‘18 Food Policy Institute. Prior to this role, Karla was an active advocate of the
Food Studies club at Hostos.
Roberto is a graduate of our Liberal Arts and Science program. For the last
Negrin, Roberto ‘18 eleven years, he has been a renowned pet fashion designer creating custom-
made couture outfits for all kind of pets.
Nelson, Sushane ‘20 Biography details are being compiled
Emerlin is currently working as a Scientist for the New York City Department of
Ortega, Emerlin ‘13 Health and Mental Hygiene. He is a graduate of our liberal arts and science
program.
 Vanessa obtained her associate degree in civil engineering from Hostos while
Pujols, Vanessa ‘18 providing academic tutoring to our students. She is currently pursuing a
bachelor’s degree at the City College of New York.
Fabian is presently working as an academic advisor at Bronx Community
College. He was one of the first facilitators at the Hostos Academic Learning
Quintero, Fabian Center, helping to lead the unit with remarkable, student-centered focus. He
holds a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from
Brooklyn College.
Carla is presently working as a special education teacher assistant for the New
York City Department of Education. After obtaining her associate degree in
Ruiz, Carla ‘18
liberal arts and science from Hostos, she was accepted to Columbia University
where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology.
Minolca Ruiz is a very good example of perseverance. A mother of three
children, the younger with autism, she has shown the desire and passion to be
an example for her children and all women. Many times, Minolca almost gave
up on her dreams of being a college graduate, but her determination and the
Ruiz, Minolca ‘18 support she found at Hostos were strong enough for her to stay focused. As
part of the CUNYEdge program, Minolca was doing her hours at the Education
Department where she brought positivism and the sense of caring. Between
the office of the program and the Education Department, she found the
encouragement and motivation to continue her career until graduation.
Seymour, Shakira ‘19 Biography details are being compiled
Carlos is experienced in advanced statistics, creating machine learning models
and implementing data pipelines. After earning his associate degree in
Tavarez Martinez, Carlos
chemical engineering, Carlos continued his studies at the City College of New
‘15
York obtaining both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in data science and
engineering.
For almost thirteen years, Rosa was a dedicated Hostos Community College
employee mostly at the financial aid department. She is presently a financial
Torres, Rosa ‘07
aid specialist at Herbert H. Lehman College. She holds a master's degree in
public administration/human resources management from John Jay College.
A graduate of our 2004 class, Andre Veloz is a well-known Dominican vocalist
Veloz, Andre ‘04 whose charisma and personality enlighten those who experience her vast
musical talents.
DeJuan is a successful optometrist. With more than fourteen years of
experience, DeJuan has been a prominent young professional offering quality
Wynn, DeJuan ‘09
services to community members. As a proud Hostos graduate, he has been
very generous helping Hostos fundraising efforts to help students in need.

Trailblazer Award
Fenix is presently serving as the chief of operations for Yonkers Public Schools.
Arias, Fenix ‘96 She is also a strategic planning and assessment consultant. Fenix holds a Ph.D.
in urban studies from the Graduate Center.
A graduate from the Hostos Lincoln Academy of Science (HLA) in 2017,
Muhammed was first in his graduating class. He was recently an intern at the
Asghar, Muhammed ‘17
US Census Bureau where he spearheaded a cutting-edge project that will be
implemented in the 2030 decennial US Census.
 Elayne, a product of our Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), was
Blancas, Elayne ‘19 the second Hostos student to be selected for the MIT program. She is currently
attending the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
Dane has been a very successful Hostos Graduate. He is a materials scientist
for Corning Incorporated. Prior to this role, he was a graduate research
Christie, Dane ‘10
assistant at Princeton University. Dane has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering
from the aforementioned institution.
Dr. Joseph, a scientist in the Division of Intramural Research at the National
Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), is a fellow of the New York Academy of
Medicine and an international Transcultural Nurse Fellow. Part of her work
Joseph, Paule V. ‘05 involves the complex interplay of biological and behavioral components in
addressing symptoms and managing medical problems relevant to nursing
science, with a special emphasis on metabolic disorders like obesity and
diabetes.
Montilla, Elaine ‘99 Biography details are being compiled
Rocio Palacios is a very focused person who has clear and defined goals. She
went through many obstacles and worked hard to accomplish her dream of
graduating from college. As a single mother, she was raising her two
daughters. One day, her youngest daughter started suffering from headaches
and the doctors could not diagnose it until it was too late. During her years at
Hostos, she struggled with the death of her daughter from a brain aneurysm.
When Ms. Palacios herself was diagnosed with the same medical problem and
after receiving surgery, she continued her studies because she wanted to
Palacios, Rocio ‘16 succeed. She wanted to get and stay better for her older daughter. She
graduated from Hostos in 2016 and from Lehman College in 2019. She has
been accepted to a master’s program that she will start soon. Rocio will be
very successful in whatever she does because of her commitment to
development and improvement. Rocio is a good example of what Hostos
represents because of her persistence, responsibility and focus no matter the
obstacles. Hostos has served as her support to achieve her professional goals
and continues serving as an emotional support when she needs it. For that
and more, Rocio is a good candidate for the Trailblazer Award.
Stahling, Christopher ‘13 Biography details are being compiled