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
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Remembering 9/11, Celebrating our Commonality
Out of every tragedy, strength is born. The passage of time allows us to see things more clearly and to appreciate the lessons learned from hardship.
Eleven years have passed since the devastating events of 9/11, and certainly those we lost will never be forgotten. But life’s mandate is to learn. In a world rife with division, we have the chance to bridge the separations, to find commonality and live with deeper respect for one another.
The reality is that each of us has personal beliefs and allegiances, our passions and causes. And our differences make our communities exciting and vibrant. But the deeper reality is that none of our differences dictate separation and animosity; that’s hardly the necessary result of differing viewpoints and passions. The most fundamental lesson, the simplest of lessons, is that we are, beneath all the variation, human beings with a great deal in common.
At MDC, we have the good fortune to live our days in a learning community, a special place where we work together in service to a common goal. We make a difference in each other’s lives and we create an environment that is open and safe, one that respects differences and honors all that we share. We can all be proud of this. If these are the lessons of tragedy, then we’re on the right road.
Thank you for the difference you make each day.
Eduardo