Miami Dade College (MDC) will honor GED graduates during a graduation ceremony at 7 p.m., on Friday, June 17, at MDC’s Wolfson Campus. This year, more than 400 students will receive their certificates from MDC.
In 2004, Darlene Diaz was paralyzed from the neck down due to a car accident. Five years later, she learned that the high school diploma she earned was not valid. In July of 2014, Darlene enrolled in the GED preparation program at MDC. She earned her diploma in 2015, bringing her one step closer to reaching her goal – achieving a college degree in computers and IT.
“The GED online program was convenient for me. It allowed me to work from home at my own pace,” said Diaz. “I’m very grateful to MDC, my instructors, and the administration for giving me a second chance at a degree and career.”
The keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony will be Dr. Lenore Rodicio who is currently Provost of Academic and Student Affairs for MDC. Dr. Rodicio previously served as Vice Provost for Student Achievement at MDC, and led a nationally recognized planning and implementation process to redesign the student experience at MDC from early connections with potential students through degree completion. In collaboration with key partners such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieving the Dream, Lumina and Kresge, the planning process brought together faculty, staff and administrators across all campuses to analyze the current state of student success and completion at MDC and to implement comprehensive solutions to improve completion rates.
Dr. Rodicio joined MDC in the fall of 2002 as an adjunct instructor of chemistry at the Kendall and InterAmerican Campuses. Since that time, she has held numerous positions at the college including Associate Professor, Chair of Natural and Social Sciences, and Dean of Academic Affairs.
The GED program at MDC was started in 1998 at the Kendall Campus and has since branched out to include other campuses. More than 8,000 students have earned their GED’s through MDC’s program.
For more information, please contact Sherry Joseph-Dutton at 305-237-2187
This and other MDC releases are available on the web at www.mdc.edu.