Eduardo J. Padrón
President
Office of the President
300 N.E. Second Avenue
Miami, Florida 33132-2297
305-237-3316
epadron@mdc.edu
Message From the President
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
A Thanksgiving Wish
As the story goes, a combat soldier stood waiting with his comrades for the arrival of two recently captured enemy soldiers. When they were ushered in, the waiting soldier gasped. "My God, they look like us."
America's first Thanksgiving was also a meeting of diverse people. But suspicions were laid aside in favor of trust and welcome. Cultures intersected to form a legendary precedent for a nation of immigrants.
Our community and our college are descendants of that 1621 celebration. Under the banner of teaching and learning, we gather daily in a celebration of possibility. We are so different, one to the next, and yet it works.
In that spirit, I offer a Thanksgiving wish for all of us, near and far: That the profound commonality in our hearts rises to the fore; that learning remains central to all our lives; that we respect the richness of our differences but we cherish the humanity that stares back at us.
Together, we at MDC have understood something simple and profound. My gratitude to all of you for this accomplishment is endless.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Eduardo