NUESTRO LEGADO, NUESTRO PRESENTE:

BUILDING THE DOMINICAN ALUMNI NETWORK

CUNY DSI invites all graduates of U.S. Colleges and Universities who are of Dominican ancestry to join the Network!

In 2007, the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute observed its 15th Anniversary with a grand gala in honor of the more than 35,000 CUNY graduates of Dominican descent who have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees at one or more of CUNY's colleges. At the event, Institute Director Dr. Ramona Hernandez explained that she and her colleagues could think of no better way to celebrate the Institute's history than by honoring those "who work hard, endure sacrifice, and struggle against all odds to achieve their goals." And the odds are clearly great. As she noted, most Dominican college graduates are not just the first to graduate college, they are also the first to graduate high school, no small feat in communities where the challenges to educational achievement seem nearly insurmountable. Dr. Hernandez aptly named the 2007 gala Nuestro Legado, Nuestro Presente: CUNY Dominican Graduates, to celebrate not only the graduates themselves, but also to acknowledge the City University of New York's fundamental role in making a college education accessible to thousands of students of Dominican ancestry.

More than 400 CUNY graduates and members of their families attended the celebration, filling to capacity the Great Hall at the City College of New York. Many of these graduates continue to stay connected with the Institute by attending events, using its resources, or just dropping by to say hello when they're in the neighborhood.

 With this section of the CUNY DSI website, we launch our campaign to continue and EXPAND the celebration! We invite ALL U.S. college and university graduates of Dominican descent, wherever you may be, to tell us your story, give us your contact information, and let us celebrate your accomplishments so that this information continues to inspire the generations who will follow in your footsteps.