MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
FALL 2023: WELCOME!
Welcome to the Fall 2023 semester at Hostos Community College!
In-person or virtually – or, more than likely, both – you will begin or continue your studies in your chosen field. Your determination to bring new meaning and opportunity to your life has impelled you to take an active part in shaping your life, your vocation, and your destiny.
The College has provided a path to a brighter future and served as a source of life-transforming education since its founding in 1968. Our graduates pursue meaningful careers in the Bronx, in the greater New York area, throughout the United States, and around the world.
A few examples will give you an idea of the diversity of interests possessed by Hostos students – and of their undeniable talents, skills, and dedication.
Class of 2013 Hostos Community College alumna Kay Bell was recently named the 2023-2025 Bronx Poet Laureate. Author of two poetry collections, Bell promotes the history of poetry in the Bronx and ignites a passion for creative expression through various community engagement events in the borough.
2023 Hostos graduate and men’s basketball player Tionne Palmer received a full scholarship to Lincoln University, an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Oxford, Pennsylvania.
This summer, ten Hostos students flew to Edinburgh, Scotland to participate in Festival Fringe, as part of the International Collegiate Theater Festival (ICTF). These stalwart troupers performed “What You Will,” a modern take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, written by James Zager and directed by Angel Morales.
Fatimah Bah, Yassine Gaye, José González, and Andre Watson, all graduates of the College’s Kaplan Leadership program, are continuing their academic studies at Cornell University, Princeton University, Rice University, and Yale University, respectively.
April witnessed the opening of the Hostos Research Center. The Center has long been a dream of mine because I’ve seen the crucial role research can play in the lives of both students and faculty. The Center supports such activities as developing research, writing grant applications, and creating professional development opportunities. The HRC will also host special research presentations, career fairs, and networking events.
Hostos takes pride in its history and in its namesake: Don Eugenio María de Hostos, the Puerto Rican philosopher, educator, man of letters and fighter for the independence of Puerto Rico. The College arose from the vision and activism of many Puerto Rican, Latino, and other supporters who believed the South Bronx deserved its own community college. We are proud of the quality of teaching and learning at Hostos, and of our work with community agencies to promote educational, labor, economic and community development initiatives. To that end, we offer programs designed to promote engagement both on campus and in our communities.
The Hostos catalogue presents a rich offering of career and academic programs, including allied health sciences, digital design and animation, education, engineering, liberal arts and sciences, theater arts, and many other disciplines. Our talented and highly accomplished faculty, staff and administrators support the goals of new and returning students alike.
A new academic year brings exciting new opportunities for students, and I know this will be a challenging and rewarding experience for you. You are here to excel – and we are here to help you do exactly that.
I wish you all the very best, whether this is your first day at Hostos or your final semester on the road to graduation.
It is a joy to welcome you to Hostos.
Sincerely,
Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.
President