Mercy College Provost Fernández Honored by City of Yonkers Mayor and Yonkers School

On May 18, Eva Fernández, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, was one of five honorees recognized at the Charter School of Educational Excellence (CSEE) gala, which was held at X20 Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers, New York. She also received a proclamation from City of Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano at the event.

“We are thrilled to honor Eva Fernández,” said CSEE superintendent Cindy V. Lopez ’07, M.S. ’08, M.S. ’11, H.D. ’23, who is a Mercy College Trustee and alumna. “Mercy College is a wonderful partner in helping our high school students learn how to succeed in college.” Mercy College is also one of the most popular college choices for students in CSEE’s first graduating class of 2023.

CSEE is a K-12 school in Yonkers, New York. Like Mercy, CSEE focuses on learning by doing. CSEE students performed very well according to the school’s 2021-22 New York State School Report Card with 91% of 6th graders and 80% of 5th graders deemed proficient in English Language Arts — far higher than statewide averages.

“I’m so honored and humbled to be here,” said Fernández as she spoke at the event. “I can’t wait to see CSEE students go and change the world, especially those of you who are coming to Mercy College.” She described a study from the Equality of Opportunity Project led by Stanford University economist Raj Chetty that found that most innovators come from the wealthiest group in society. She said that CSEE students are going to change those statistics because of the strong education they receive.