Sunny Hostin from ABC’s ‘The View’ Delivers Inspiring Talk at Iona University
New Rochelle, N.Y. - Iona University recently welcomed Sunny Hostin, four-time Emmy Award-winning legal journalist, two-time New York Times bestselling author and co-host of ABC’s “The View,” for an inspiring talk about her life and career. As the culminating event for Iona’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, the discussion highlighted themes of identity, justice and opportunity through education.
A key element of an Iona education is access to career professionals who offer perspective, advice and opportunities to Iona students.
Hostin shared how her upbringing created a profound sense of compassion and the need to promote social justice.
“I grew up in the South Bronx projects with teenage parents who believed and continue to believe that education would be the great equalizer for our family,” said Hostin.
She encouraged students to recognize the strength that comes from their own identities, emphasizing that diversity not only enriches perspectives but also fosters innovative thinking.
“My identity is my superpower. It makes me different. The thing that makes you different is your unique lived experience. My lived experience shapes every decision I make and how stories are told.”
Her advice for Iona students? “Don't accept no for an answer, because no is the first answer on the road to success.”
Following her talk, attendees enjoyed a reception in the LaPenta School of Business atrium, where students engaged in further one-on-one conversations with Hostin.
This event was sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. For more upcoming events, please visit the diversity events calendar.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.