The spectacular Miami skyline view from Tuyo, a new dining restaurant that sits atop the Miami Dade College Culinary Institute, punctuates the world-class vision of Dr. Eduardo Padrón, who is celebrating 20 years as president of Miami Dade College this year. Padrón named Tuyo — which means “yours” in English — himself, and Tuyo, which rivals the best restaurants in the region, is a concrete example of what Padrón is talking about when he says that Miami Dade College is a “dream factory.”
“As I always say, we would like to see this place and we believe this place is a dream factory where a student can come and achieve their dreams, and that’s how you create an equalized community,” Padrón says.
“One of the greatest issues we have in America today is the divide between the haves and the have nots, which is growing. It’s a worldwide problem, and it is something that institutions such as Miami Dade College can help in bringing about significant solutions, allow people to believe in themselves, because, like me, many students come to us because they feel this is the only ticket to a better life, the only ticket to the American dream, to the middle class,” Padrón adds.
Indeed, Eduardo Padrón is living the American dream, if there ever was one. Padrón, 70, arrived in the United States as a refugee from Cuba at the age of 15. His Miami Dade College (MDC) journey began after enrolling in MDC following his graduation from Miami Senior High School in 1963. He then went on to earn a B.A. in economics in 1966, summa cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University, where he also was valedictorian. He subsequently earned an M.A. in economics from the University of Florida (UF) in 1967 and a Ph.D. in economics from UF in 1970.
Among his many distinctions, in 2012 Padrón was awarded the Citizen Service Award from Voices for National Service, the TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education and the Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship. Padrón is also the past chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (ACE) and is a past chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
In recognition of his exemplary commitment to the success of the vast population of underrepresented and underprivileged students he serves at MDC, Padrón has been named the 2015 recipient of the Diverse Champions Award. The Champions Award was created by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education in 2012 upon the retirement of the inaugural Champions Award winner, Dr. John E. Roueche, who was director of the Community College Leadership Program at The University of Texas at Austin.
