Photo courtesy of NOAH
The faculty of the New Opportunities at Hofstra Scholars Program (NOAH) supports Hofstra students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds financially, academically and socially.
The program covers four years and one extra semester along with room and board, tuition, a meal plan and money for books and supplies. Additionally, students are given resources such as mentoring, tutoring, academic and personal counseling, along with financial, graduate school and career advice.
The administrative staff consists of Roosevelt Smith, the associate dean and director, Deysi M. Aguilar, assistant dean and Alejandra Arce, assistant to the director. Both Smith and Aguilar have been in the NOAH program themselves as students at Hofstra University.
“Not only are Mr. Smith and Mrs. Aguilar there for me for academic advice, but also for personal advice,” said Francy Caceres, a sophomore business major.
Students are required to participate in a five week summer program before beginning school in September where they are taught discipline and leadership skills. Here, they learn to become like a family.
“They are very helpful at trying to figure out what you like, what motivates you and what supports you in the best way. They support you strongly in the sense they have access to a lot of resources and they’ve been through the NOAH program themselves,” said Eric Moreno, a sophomore secondary education major. “This gives them the understanding of what we have been through and allows them to perform better in the administrative area so they know what they are doing and what they are talking about.”
Moreno also spoke on the importance of diversity within the program.
“I feel that it is important that the faculty and administration are people of color because they know what we go through on a daily basis. No one knows struggles like we do, so to have someone that we can trust and count on, that probably went through the same upbringing or troubles, is very important, just for us to feel comfortable with each other,” Moreno said.
Students within the program appreciate having faculty who can relate to their backgrounds.
“I remember starting the summer program and feeling very intimidated, but what made me feel really comfortable was that everyone including faculty and students were similar to me. They came from places that I am familiar with such as Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx,” said Yohelis Polanco, a junior finance major.
The NOAH program has not only given students the opportunity to succeed academically, but it has also given students the chance to formulate social connections.
“We are able to serve as a support system for each other, even with staff we know they will always be there for us and have a built-in family. We refer to each other as NOAH brothers and sisters which allows us to lean on each other during times of difficulty and help each other get back up,” Polanco said.
