Trailblazing Leadership: 蜜桃影像 Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Pe帽a Inspires at Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
October 25, 2024
HCCC Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Pe帽a inspired approximately 200 members of the HCCC community at the College鈥檚 signature Hispanic Heritage Month event in Union City.
A full house turned out at HCCC鈥檚 North Hudson Campus in Union City to hear the first Hispanic Chair of the Board of Trustees tell her story.
October 25, 2024, Jersey City, NJ 鈥� Approximately 200 蜜桃影像 (HCCC) students, faculty, and
staff celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by attending a rousing keynote speech from
Jeanette Pe帽a, Chair of the HCCC Board of Trustees, at HCCC鈥檚 North Hudson Campus
in Union City. Not only is Pe帽a the first Hispanic to hold this position, but she
is also the first woman to do so, making her a true Hudson County trailblazer.
As the daughter of immigrants from Cuba, Pe帽a鈥檚 role as the first Hispanic Chair of the Board of Trustees is especially significant as 蜜桃影像 is a majority-minority institution with 55% of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Many HCCC students were born outside of the United States, and many speak English as a second language. HCCC is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and received the 鈥極utstanding Member Institution Award鈥� from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) in 2023.
The diversity of HCCC鈥檚 Hispanic presence was on full display at the event, as students from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and beyond were all in attendance. 鈥淐hair Pe帽a鈥檚 ascension to HCCC Chair is inspiring not only to Hispanic students but to the HCCC community as a whole,鈥� stated HCCC Chemistry Instructor Raffi Manjikian, who helped organize the event as co-chair of the President鈥檚 Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (PACDEI) alongside colleagues Joseph Caniglia, Executive Director of the North Hudson Campus, and Diana Galvez, Associate Director of the North Hudson Campus and PACDEI co-chair.
Pe帽a is a lifelong advocate for public education and a longtime member of the HCCC family who taught as an adjunct professor at HCCC and served on the Foundation Board for over a decade. She is the Director of Special Services and Organizational Accountability at Union City Public Schools. Notably, she is also a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education after being appointed by Governor Phil Murphy in 2024. Pe帽a earned her Master of Arts degree in education from Seton Hall University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Rutgers University. She also holds a Professional Diploma in School Psychology from New Jersey City University.
Pe帽a regaled the audience with a compelling story of why education is so important to her. Her grandmother was a lifelong and avid reader but was forced to stop attending school in her native Cuba during the sixth grade so that she could take care of her siblings after her mother passed away. Additionally, Pe帽a鈥檚 mother, who attended the event virtually, was a teacher in Cuba before being forced to flee the country after the Communist Revolution. Pe帽a stressed that while this is her family鈥檚 history, it鈥檚 something everyone can relate to as 鈥渢his is a story somewhere in all of our family鈥檚 timelines.鈥� Pe帽a emphasized the importance of education by stating, 鈥淭hey can take everything away from you, but they can鈥檛 take away your education,鈥� something her grandmother told her as a young woman.
Pe帽a鈥檚 parents worked hard to give her a wonderful childhood in Union City, and her father worked from sun up to sun down both as a bus driver for NJ Transit and at the family鈥檚 bodega. Pe帽a is a proud lifelong resident of Union City and has no plans to ever leave her place of birth. She reminded those in attendance that 鈥淗udson County is a wonderful community.鈥� HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber stated that 鈥淐hair Pe帽a鈥檚 passion for education is matched only by her dedication to Union City and Hudson County, which we all call home.鈥�
On being the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Pe帽a gave sage advice to all in attendance: 鈥淏ring yourself to the table and make yourself part of the conversation.鈥�
As Chair, Pe帽a has a vision of prioritizing the College鈥檚 role as a launchpad to gainful employment and family-sustaining wages for Hudson County residents. She explained that while a college degree may not be for everyone, everyone can benefit from credentialed training in fields ranging from electrician and HVAC technician to cosmetologist, and HCCC鈥檚 workforce development programs and credentialed training can unlock these opportunities. Pe帽a knows the value of these jobs firsthand, recalling that early in her career, her husband earned more than she did as an electrician.
When asked what Hispanic Heritage Month means to her, Pe帽a replied 鈥淚t means celebrating our every day. We鈥檙e very proud of our heritage. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to share our rich mosaic of cultures both with other members of the Hispanic community, and with those outside of the community. I believe that as people, we all have a lot in common, but that 15% or so that makes us different is what makes the world a special place.鈥�