VICTOR SANTANA / STAFF IT ASSISTANT, OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
When I first came to New York in 1989, I was trying to continue my education, looking for a place, and Hostos gave me an opportunity. I was helped during registration, treated like family. That was in the fall. By the following spring, I was helping other students. We rented a second floor in Hunt’s Point, my wife and my first son. We have five children now. I worked in the Marriott cafeteria in the World Financial Center from 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., then caught the subway straight to work for a couple of hours in Student Aid before classes from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. My brother and I were the first in my family to attend college. Now I work in the president’s office. My children are 23, 14, 13, 11 and 6. My oldest son graduated from Lincoln Academy here at Hostos and now attends Bronx Community College.
We pass it on. Our children learn from us, going to work, studying. It gets in their memory and they follow.
VICTOR SANTANA