Last week, the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics convened its fifth meeting at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Designed to demonstrate the Administration’s commitment to workforce development and economic opportunities for Hispanics, the event also allowed commissioners to gather ideas for recommendations they can make to President Biden through U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona.
The meeting, which was attended by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, focused on key areas of discussion that included the development and implementation of educational programs, promotion of career pathways, strengthening institutions to serve Hispanic students equitably, increasing public awareness and establishing partnerships to address educational challenges.
Marymount University President Irma Becerra took center stage during the Community Testimonials panel, sharing insights on her personal journey and the University’s commitment to advancing educational equity and economic opportunities for Hispanic students. As she represented the first and only Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in Virginia, President Becerra shared her inspiring story as a Cuban refugee and underscored the transformative power of education. She emphasized the importance of higher education as the “great equalizer” in society, and expressed her dedication to ensuring minority students recognize the potential within their reach.
“Our HSI designation reflects our mission, which values diversity and focuses on the education of the whole person,” President Becerra explained. “And through that, we’ve fostered a very supportive culture for all minority students and students in general.”
Marymount’s HSI designation has resulted in several noteworthy achievements, including receiving grants from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program and the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. President Becerra highlighted initiatives that resulted from those grants, such as fellowships for Clinical Mental Health Counseling students and Marymount’s new STEM Scholars Program, to demonstrate the positive impact of the University’s HSI status in fostering diverse and innovative opportunities.
“As a university whose students are 26 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Black or African American, we want to continue to expose our students to STEM careers that are of urgent need in our society and are key to our nation’s competitiveness,” she added.
With a commitment to providing an affordable private education, President Becerra also discussed Marymount’s focus on applied learning and smaller class sizes, leading to success in minority students earning STEM degrees. In addition, she called for the federal government to encourage states and research-intensive higher education institutions to provide the capital investment infrastructure necessary for a massive expansion of research at the college level that includes smaller private institutions.
“Hopefully, with increased maximum Pell Grant awards, additional federal and state funding for HSIs, more equity-focused initiatives and assistance for smaller private universities to develop their own research infrastructure, we can do even more in the years to come!”
With the belief that the nation’s future prosperity and global leadership across all sectors is intrinsically tied to the success of Hispanic students, the White House Hispanic Initiative works to advance cradle-to-career policy goals outlined by President Biden and Secretary Cardona’s priorities impacting the Hispanic community, lead an interagency work group of federal staff advancing equity for Hispanics through their agencies’ missions, lead a 21-member Commission and engage in public engagement efforts to bridge federal opportunities and the Hispanic community.
