The government may have shut down, but FIU advocates we’re on the job

Although the federal government  shutdown last week, FIU advocates were hard at work in Washington, D.C.

The week kicked off Monday with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s three day Public Policy Conference. The conference brought together a group of guests from all different industries to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing future Hispanic leaders. The challenges that were discussed by Congress members, corporate executives, educators, and government official ranged from STEM education to oil and gas to medical benefits for military veterans.

Dr. Irma Becerra-Fernandez, FIU’s vice president of Engagement, flew in to lend her voice to the conversation. She also had the pleasure of speaking to the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who is leading the charge for President Obama’s college affordability proposal.

FIU Federal Relations Intern Javier Hernandez asked Microsoft’s Vice President of U.S. Government Relations Fred Humphries Jr. about the responsibility of private companies to provide meaningful internships to college students

Also occurring this week was the 40th anniversary meeting of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME). NACME brought together hundreds of industry experts and insiders to consider ways in which the hidden workforce of underserved young men and woman can be harnessed. President Mark B. Rosenberg, Dr. Becerra-Fernandez and Dr. Norm Munroe from the College of Engineering attended these meetings to share her insight into how FIU has been able to lead the nation in educating young Hispanic engineers and promote more internships for our students.

The Dean of FIU’s College of Education received praise also this week for the college’s Creating Latino Access to a Valuable Education (CLAVE) program. CLAVE was honored as a finalist by Excelencia in Education for its Example of Excelencia award. The program was also recognized by Congressman Joe Garcia (FL-26) in a speech that he submitted to the congressional records. CLAVE is a collaborative program between the FIU College of Education and the Miami Dade Public School District that targets low performing urban schools within the school district as a way to enhance the professional development of teachers working in challenging academic environments and ultimately enhance the performance of the students they serve.

Congressman Garcia echoed President Rosenberg’s words in saying that “[CLAVE] is a great example of FIU’s commitment to Miami-Dade’s public schools, its teachers and its students.”

Award winning journalist and Excelencia in Education keynote speaker Maria Hinojosa shared her view on the future of Latinos in America

Finally, two of FIU’s Student Government Association Senators participated in Google “Hangout” with Congressman Joe Garcia and Fidel A. Vargas, CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The Hangout on the pursuit of higher education for Latino was moderated by Eliana Murillo, head of Google’s Multicultural Affairs. The students—Bianca Gutierrez, MMC SGA Senator for the Honors College, and Stefan Bahad, President of FIUnite and SGA Business Senator—lent the student perspective to conversation. The full event can be watch here.

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– Javier Hernandez