Miami Dade College Foundation was awarded $2.25 million in gifts after MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama on November 22. The gifts were presented to Dr. Padrón last week at a private breakfast for past inductees of the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame at Greenberg Traurig, P. A. in downtown Miami. (See event photos)
A $1 million gift from The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation established the Eduardo J. Padrón Innovation Fund honoring Dr. Padrón’s decades of work in ensuring educational opportunity for all. The gift will support MDC faculty in the delivery of highly interactive and innovative education programs that prepare the next generation of change makers who, like Dr. Padrón, will address societal challenges and make a difference through their leadership, scholarship, and civic engagement.
Dr. Padrón was surprised by two more gifts to the College: a $250,000 gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for the Innovation Fund, and another $1 million gift from Badia Spices Inc. to establish the Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón Presidential Medal of Freedom Scholarship for deserving students with financial need.
“President Padrón has made enormous contributions to Miami Dade College and to South Florida over the years, making MDC a national model for access and inclusion in education,” said Louis Wolfson, III, trustee of The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation. “The College continues to innovate, and we are delighted to establish a fund in his honor to enhance our education programs and create more change makers for our community.”
To make a gift today to the Eduardo J. Padrón Innovation Fund, visit our online giving page.