It was graduation day for thousands of Miami Dade College students. Take a look
Miami Dade College’s Dariel Rodriguez accessorized his cap and gown Saturday with the purple sash of the Honors College. Four years ago, he left Cuba by himself. Saturday, he had his whole family with him to celebrate being one of 12,000 MDC students graduating at loanDepot Park.
Being a North Campus student, Rodriguez was in the morning ceremony.
“When I came, my first goal was go to high school, graduate and pursue my higher education in college,” Rodriguez said. “At the beginning, it looked more like a dream. But, today, it has become a reality. I came with no English at all. It was very hard for me. But, I kept working hard. I received a lot of help from my teachers in high school and professors.”
While living with an uncle, Rodriguez graduated Hialeah High before getting his associates degree in business administration at MDC. After getting a four-year degree with a focus on financial management, he wants to own a business, “where I can offer financial services and advisement to my community.”
Siemans CEO Barbara Humpton gave the keynote speech in the morning session. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin did the same for the afternoon session after announcing his $20 million gift to the school. Miami Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold was scheduled to speak at the night ceremony.
READ MORE: Billionaire gives $20 million to Miami Dade College for scholarship fund
Here’s a look at the afternoon ceremony:
This story was originally published April 22, 2023 at 6:00 PM.
