Manhattan, Lehman, Mount St. Vincent colleges named Hispanic-serving institutions

The U.S. education department has named Manhattan College, Lehman College and the College of Mount St. Vincent as “Hispanic Serving Institutions”.

They are now among 337 other four-year institutions with the same recognition.

Since 2013, Hispanic enrollment has grown from 18.4 percent to 28.5 percent at Manhattan College.

And this designation comes in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision banning affirmative action, mainly on college campuses. Studies showed that affirmative action helped many Black and Latino students in California.

More than a quarter of Manhattan College’s undergraduate population identifies as Hispanic, a 10 percent increase from a decade ago. For incoming freshmen, there are 38 percent who are Hispanic.

A 2017 study by Education Trust found that Hispanic Serving Institutions had a higher graduation rate of Latinos than those enrolled in a non-Hispanic institution.

To receive this distinction, the student body must make up at least 25 percent, and nearly two-thirds of all Hispanic undergraduates are enrolled.

“We are proud to be named a Hispanic Serving Institution and continue to be committed to providing our Hispanic students with the resources and support they need to succeed academically, professionally, and personally,” said William Clyde, Manhattan’s executive vice president and provost.

“Achieving this designation is a testament to the hard work of our faculty, staff and students. It allows us to tap into the grants available from the education department that will help facilitate the success of our Hispanic students in the years to come.”

Two students graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson

Bina Westrich, a doctoral student, and Eliezer Feinberg, a business major, both from  greater Riverdale, graduated from the Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University along with 2,446 other students.

Degrees ranged from associates to doctorates at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The university is New Jersey’s largest private university, offering more than 100 liberal arts and professional degree programs. It has two international campuses and dozens of partnerships with international institutions and special programs.

Graduates from Hamilton

Olivia Gabriel of greater Riverdale received her bachelor of arts degree in psychology May 22 at Hamilton College’s 211th commencement ceremony with 500 other graduates.

Gabriel completed a thesis while titled, “Exploring the Relationships Among Parental Emotion Socialization, Emotion Expressivity, Social Anxiety, and Race.”

The first retired female four-star admiral and chair of the 2020-22 congressional naming commission Navy Adm. Michelle Howard was the keynote speaker and delivered the commencement address.

“As your namesake — Alexander Hamilton — would say, the first duty is justice,” she said to the new alumni. In her remarks, she shared anecdotes from her time before active duty and made it a life lesson.

In 2020 she spent time as a mathematics and English tutor for elementary school students at EduMate NYC, an organization founded by college students in response to Covid and the difficult transition to online learning, including any learning gaps.

One year later, she continued to tutor again but this time with Midtown Utica Community Center for English, science, and math for refugee students K-12 in Clinton, Rome and Utica.

The institution overlooking the Clinton has more than 23,000 alumni, with more than 2,000 students enrolled.

More than half are female.

All students come from 47 states and 54 countries. Only 27 percent are U.S. students. Its acceptance rate is roughly 12 percent. Furthermore, 86 percent from the class of 2026 are ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

Hamilton is a liberal arts institution with 57 areas of students, including 44 majors.

Oneonta dean’s list

More than 1,100 students were named to SUNY Oneonta’s dean’s list for the Spring semester and four were from greater Riverdale.

They are:

• Sabrina Batista, a business and economics major who also graduated this past spring with a concentration in finance.

Upon graduation she took the role as a private banking analyst at J.P. Morgan.

• Luis Jimenez, who will receive his bachelor of science in digital and studio art next year.

He wants to be known as a digital artist where his goal is to obtain a position that will allow him to use his artistic skills as well express his ideas to others.

• Cole Kirschbaum, who received his bachelors in English language and literature/letters this year.

His activities and societies were tennis.

• Ava Roubanian, who majors in music and will graduate in 2025. She is a music blog creator on Track Drive since 2022. Also, she is part of WireTV, the institution’s student-run TV station. It produces more then four hours of original programming each week, including sporting events.