NEW YORK– Hostos Community College, a CUNY school located in the South Bronx, has   provided access to higher education for many who many that may not otherwise have that opportunity. Supporting over 6,000 students in the spring of 2010 and over 10,000 through its Continuing Education and Profession Studies department, the school has served as a starting point for four year colleges and careers for many students.

On March 22, Hostos Community College presented South-South News president and Hostos alumnus Ambassador Francis Lorenzo with a decoration of merit and distinction for his outstanding contributions to Dominicans and Latinos in the Caribbean and the mainland at a ceremony held at the United Nations. College president, Félix V. Matos-Rodríguez, joined a group of Hostos students to give Ambassador Lorenzo the award.

“It gives me great honor to present H.E. Francis Lorenzo with this merit of distinction. I am very proud of the accomplishments of Mr. Lorenzo and grateful for his acknowledgment, collaborations and contributions to his culture, people and heritage,” President Matos-Rodríguez told reporters. “All of our Hostos students, and especially those in attendance with me today, have in Ambassador Lorenzo an exemplary role model and testament of what our students can achieve.”

In gratitude to Hostos students for this honor, Ambassador Lorenzo took them on a private tour of the South-South News facilities and of the United Nations, giving them a firsthand look at how those organizations function in the heart of New York City. The ambassador also stressed to the students the necessity of hard work in school as a precursor to success in life, and the opportunities that they have for internships living in New York.

Founded in 1970 and named after Puerto Rican intellectual Eugene María de Hostos, Hostos Community College has traditionally served Latino and African Americans in the South Bronx and surrounding neighborhoods. The school offers classes in Spanish, and offers English and English as a Second Language classes for students. There is also a high population of foreign students at the school, giving it a wide variety of perspectives.