Baruch Students Earn Excellence Awards for Community Impact Across New York City

March 17, 2026

Two Baruch College undergraduates received Certificates of Excellence for community-driven public service projects that tackle isolation and improve access to resources across New York City.

The awards spotlights two initiatives—Ozone Park Connect and Entre Vecinos—that reflect how Baruch students are applying their academic learning to make a meaningful impact beyond campus.

Building Community in Ozone Park

Isabel Torres (’27) developed Ozone Park Connect, which focuses on the lack of welcoming, accessible gathering spaces in the Queens community.

It’s core program, The Neighborhood Table, partners with local businesses to turn storefronts into hubs for cultural, educational, and creative events. Using zoning data and neighborhood analysis, the initiative addresses how limited public space and residential land-use patterns can contribute to isolation.

“The community should be accessible to everybody—especially at a time when so many people are talking about isolation and what being lonely does to your body and your mental health,” said Torres, a public affairs major at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.

Torres connects the idea of community space to youth opportunity, education, and social mobility, with a particular focus on helping young people imagine their futures.

“Students only go as far as what’s in front of them,” she said. “I want to give them the confidence and the education to pursue more than what’s around them.”

As a Macaulay Honors student and Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar, Torres is using her work to help build stronger, more connected neighborhoods.

Strengthening Neighbor-to-Neighbor Support

While Torres focuses on creating physical gathering spaces, Cielo Flores Diaz (’27) is working to ensure community members can access critical information and support.

Flores Diaz was honored for Entre Vecinos—Spanish for Among Neighbors—an initiative that promotes safety and awareness by connecting residents in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to trusted community resources.

The project distributes reliable information about services and rights through everyday neighborhood spaces, including laundromats, churches, delicatessens, supermarkets, and local organizations. Through partnerships with groups such as Central American Legal Assistance, Entre Vecinos also provides a direct pathway to aid when needed.

“Fear is very isolating. In a city that hustles so much, being frozen in time can really separate you from your community,” says Flores Diaz, who is majoring in operations management and consulting at the Zicklin School of Business with a minor in public service.

As Secretary of Baruch’s Operations Management Club, Flores Diaz is already applying her skills in coordination, data analysis, and event planning while exploring a future in city-focused public service.

Student Leadership Through Public Service

Together, these projects exemplify Baruch College’s commitment to fostering opportunity, civic engagement, and real-world impact.

The Certificates of Excellence recognize not only the students’ achievements, but also the power of student-led initiatives to strengthen neighborhoods and drive meaningful social change. At Baruch, students are not just studying public service, they are actively reshaping the communities around them.