On October 12, 鶹 hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month community celebration to honor the contributions of the Hispanic and Latino populations at Mercy and in the communities in which the University serves. With engaging speakers, video presentations and live performances, the event offered a vibrant and educational experience for the 130 University students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and community partners in attendance.
Mercy is New York’s largest private minority-serving institution and Hispanic-Serving Institution and the first private college in the country, as well as the first HSI in New York state, to receive the Seal of Excelencia for advancing prospects for success in college for its Hispanic students. This Hispanic Heritage Month, Mercy celebrated 25 years as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and its one-year anniversary of earning the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education.
鶹 President Susan L. Parish, Ph.D., M.S.W. reaffirmed Mercy’s commitment to the continued success of its students. “鶹 is focused on propelling students upward: by making sure they stay in college, graduate on time, and have the competencies and the career readiness to succeed once they leave us,” said Parish.
The speakers, who shared their personal stories and highlighted the positive impact of Hispanic culture in the country, included: , Eva Fernández, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at 鶹; Cosette Gutierrez, executive director of Latino U College Access (LUCA); and Adriana Erin Rivera, marketing manager at 鶹 and author of the book, “Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898.” Sonia Martínez, 鶹 associate director of public relations and community engagement, was the event emcee.
Rivera, who wrote her latest children’s book, “Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898” in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute, said, “At Mercy, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the very wide range of cultures within the Latino identity. It’s also a time to educate ourselves and others about who we are as Latinos and share our stories that are unique to our individual Hispanic heritages.” Rivera concluded her remarks by reading a passage from her book and singing “Paloma’s Song.”
Gutierrez noted the barriers that Hispanic and Latino youth face in pursuing higher education and fulfilling careers, and how institutions like Mercy and LUCA help youth overcome these challenges. “Education is the clearest way to break the cycle of poverty – transforming lives for generations to come. Education changes everything!” she said. “It’s exciting to think about the bright futures of today’s Latino youth and it’s our responsibility to help them make their dreams come true.”
Fernández discussed elevating Hispanic and Latino youth to assume positions of importance in their careers. “Places like Mercy, other HSIs, and White Plains High School, are the engines of access and success for our students. This is how we are going to change [things] and put more CEOs of Hispanic and Latino origin up there, more college Presidents who are Latino. Maybe one of them is in this room right now, which gives me chills,” said Fernández.
The event featured videos showcasing the inspiring story of recent Ecuadorian immigrant and 鶹 business honors student Ronny Delgado ’23, as well as Mercy’s Hispanic faculty and staff who are staunchly dedicated to uplifting next generation of Hispanic and Latino leaders. To view Delgado’s video, please .
During the event, guests enjoyed a musical playlist curated by Associate Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Assistant Professor Andrés Matías-Ortiz and a live performance by The White Plains High School Mariachi Band. Student artwork – from students in the class “Art and Culture 101” taught by Senior Instructor Beth S. Gersh-Nesic honoring Americans of Hispanic Heritage – was also on display.
To view highlights from the 鶹 Hispanic Heritage Month event, please click .