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
Thursday, January 25, 2007
MEED Program Success Story
On the heels of the 20th anniversary celebration of MEED (Microcomputer Education for Employment of the Disabled), I am pleased to share the success story of Greg Cornell.
Seven years ago, Greg was paralyzed from the neck down and is only able to move his head. Unlike many others who suffer such a devastating injury, Greg refused to give up on life. He worked hard to get accepted into the MEED program, and as a result of his determination, intelligence and relentless work ethic, he has now received his Microsoft Office Word Specialist and Excel Certification.
This is an unprecedented achievement at MDC for a quadriplegic using voice-activated software to accomplish this amazing feat. Greg had to prepare for these tests without the ability to go home, open his books and study.
Greg has made contact with several companies that have expressed an interest in hiring him upon completion of his studies, and it is our hope that Greg's trailblazing efforts will open the doors for many others with his condition.
Thank you to all who lent valuable support to Greg, especially Kathy Beckman, the director of MEED; and Araceli Ojeda, Greg's Instructor and Microsoft Test Tutor.
This is just one example of the amazing work of the MEED program and what can be accomplished through courage in the face of challenge.
Thank you.
Eduardo