A Secretary of Education is Picked
In December 2020, Biden nominated Miguel Cardona. In that nomination, Cardona achieved a meteoric rise, moving from the assistant superintendent in his hometown of Meriden, Conn., a district with 9,000 students, to the secretary of education in less than two years.
Cardona, one of the top Latinos in the Biden administration, told University of Connecticut graduates to “embrace” their uniqueness, even if it is having an accent, and use it to “find your purpose.” Cardona was born in Meriden, Connecticut, to Puerto Rican parents who lived in public housing. He was the first in his family to attend college and was raised in a Spanish-speaking home.
The Beginning of a Journey
He began his career as a fourth-grade teacher and rocketed up the ranks, becoming the state’s youngest principal at age 28. He was named the state’s principal of the year in 2012.
Cardona, one of the top Latinos in the Biden administration, told University of Connecticut graduates to “embrace” their uniqueness, even if it is having an accent, and use it to “find your purpose.” during his 2021 Commencement speech.
The Advice to the Future
He goes on to state, “UConn gave me the skills I needed to take on new challenges, but equally important, the confidence to follow through. If it weren’t for UConn, I can say for certain that I wouldn’t be Secretary of Education.”
Cardona advised graduates to power their dreams with their unique personality traits.
“Whether you have ADHD, are differently-abled, moved to this country later in life, speak with an accent, grew up in poverty, or are LGBTQ, embrace your uniqueness and use it to find your purpose. When you find that purpose, make the pursuit of your purpose greater than the pursuit of your position,” he said.
