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2011
GRADUATION
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JUNE 13, 2011
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THE REPORTER
14,000 Approximate number of students that graduated this year from Miami Dade College. 2011 GRADUATION
Marching To Beat Of Her Own Drum Hira Shabbir graduated on April 29 from North Campus. Dreaming to become the first person in her family to earn a Ph.D. GREGORY CASTILLO / THE REPORTER
Commander-in-Chief: President Barack Obama Speaks to graduates from Miami Dade’s North and West Campuses at the James L. Knight center, in downtown Miami, on April 29.
NORTH, WEST CAMPUS GRADUATION
Obama Speaks At North And West Campus Graduation President Obama delivered the North and West Campus commencement ceremony speech at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami on April 29. By Monique O. Madan monique.madan001@mymdc.net Taking the stage to scattered shouts of “Yes, we can,” President Barack Obama pledged to fix the “broken immigration system” as he delivered the commencement address to more than 4,000 Miami Dade College North and West Campus students. Some stood on chairs and others cried as Obama spoke at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami on April 29, just two days before he announced the killing of Osama Bin Laden at the hands of six U.S. Navy Seals. “The diploma you’re about to receive stands for something more than the investment you made in yourselves,” Obama said .“It’s the result of an investment made by generations before you; an investment in that radical idea that America is a place where you can make it if you try.”
This year, walking graduates were given two admission tickets instead of the usual four due to venue availability. As a result, more than 3,000 guests were forced to watch the ceremony from two overflow rooms. But that didn’t stop them from cheering loudly when Obama promised to make the DREAM Act the “law of the land.” “I only wish this would actually happen. Like he said, its an investment,” said 21-year-old DREAMer Vanessa Nuñez. “However, we need actions, not words.I am still in removal proceedings which thankfully hasn’t been released yet. Transferring has been and still is an even more difficult process due to my status. Passing the DREAM Act is my dream and millions of undocumented students’ dream.” Obama stressed patience. “Democracy is hard, but it’s right,” Obama said. “Changing our laws means doing the hard work of changing minds, and changing votes, one by one.” Among those in the crowd was Florida Congresswoman, Frederica Wilson. She referred to MDC as “our crown jewel.”
“[MDC] is Miami-Dade County’s community safety net,” Wilson said. “So many dreams and aspirations are accomplished here,” said Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Former U.S. Representative for Florida’s 17th congressional district Kendrick Meek was also present at the ceremony. “North Campus has a long history; my mom taught there,” Meek said. “The people that make MDC are those with struggling commitments and figure out how to make something out of nothing.” Obama was the third U.S. President in the past four years to speak at an MDC graduation. Former President George W. Bush spoke at the Kendall Campus commencement ceremony in 2007; William Jefferson Clinton spoke during the North and West Campus graduation in 2010. He accepted his first honorary associates degree from MDC President Eduardo Padròn—a certificate given to all commencement speakers. Padròn also presented Obama with the College’s Presidential Medallion. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done,” Obama said. “I am so proud of you.”
By Jose Prado jose.prado001@mymdc.net Nineteen-year-old Hira Shabbir has something to prove. “My parents are always asking me how long its going to take to finish my studies,” said Shabbir, an Honors College biology major at North Campus. “They always pressure me with how SHABBIR much money I will really make.” Shabbir, who graduated from Miami Dade College on April 29 with a 3.95 grade point average, continues to give them the same answer—“It’s going to take time.” Shabbir dreams to become the first person in her family to earn a Ph.D.,but with her family originally from Pakistan, she said it has been difficult. “My family is modern in many ways but they just want me to become a nurse, like my sister,” Shabbir said. “They want me to get the fastest education possible and then get a job. My sister was lucky, not many people get a job right after school.” According to Shabbir, few women in her culture have ever tried to get a doctorate degree; her mother never graduated from college. However, Shabbir is determined to change that. “People always told me to listen to my family, but the things my family told me were things I never wanted to hear,” Shabbir said. As a graduate of Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, she was always discouraged from joining clubs or partaking in community
service activities. However, one club in particular caught her eye— Key Club. “It was my parents’ worse nightmare,” she said. “So I lived a double life until college. The only people supporting me right now are my friends.” Shabbir takes pride in being a “global citizen,” something she exercises in and out of the classroom. “Hira is an extraordinary student right now,” said Sandra Martinez, North Campus Honors College director. “Her vision and passion for public health leads me to believe that she will do great things for all humanity.” After doing cervical cancer research for the University of Miami and collecting data on the disparities of cancer among women, she was given the opportunity to present her research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Charlotte, North Carolina. The super-student also participated in the Bridges to the Future program and helped spearhead the International Relief Leadership Project, a fundraiser used to aid Pakistan after parts of the country were destroyed by a flood last year. “The quality of work was way above average. She was the top student in class,” said her physics professor Juan Carlos Catala. “She’s very humble and had a lot of respect from the other students; they looked up to her.” Shabbir is determined to pursue a career in public health research and will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall. “I don’t just want to be successful, I want to influence others,” Shabbir said. “I want to be an example to women to pursue their dreams no matter what society tells them to do.”
Podium Play
Gracing the podium were both locally and globally respected leaders. The class of 2011 was able to widen their perspective on different issues.
MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS Kathleen Shanahan—a member of the State Board of Education—was chief of staff for Florida Governor Jeb Bush and then Vice President-elect Dick Cheney. She is also a member of the Florida State Board of Education.
SOURCES: MIAMI DADE COLLEGE RESEARCH: MONIQUE O. MADAN GRAPHIC: LAZARO GAMIO, BRITTANY ESQUIJAROSA
VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER
NORTH, WEST CAMPUS U.S. President Barack Obama was the second acting U.S President in the past four years to speak at a Miami Dade College commencement ceremony.