Message highlights:
- Per direction of Florida’s Governor, remote learning will continue through the end of the summer term.
- Remote working will continue until further notice.
- Regardless of our postponement of commencement, degrees and certificates will not be delayed and will be arriving via mail in the coming weeks.
Dear MDC Family,
We have finally reached the end of Miami Dade College’s spring term.
As we pause for a moment to reflect on this achievement, I want to thank everyone involved for their role in making this happen. First and foremost, my sincerest congratulations go out to every student who pushed through adversity and the unknown to stay focused on their schooling. With so many competing priorities and variables, you all remained steadfast in your goals of reaching your personal educational finish line, whether it be completing the semester or obtaining your degree or certificate from MDC. Please be proud of the fact that you did not give up when many others would. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
Speaking of extraordinary, the faculty and staff at MDC have my greatest admiration and respect for everything they have done to help our students complete this term successfully. I appreciate you all and everything you have done to support them. You met the uncertainty of our current global situation with a certainty of heart and purpose – to contribute in any way you could to make the educational dreams of our students come true. Thank you! We will continue to do so via remote working until further notice.
I also extend my admiration and congratulations to those who have finished their studies and will be receiving their diplomas or certificates. May you all have an opportunity to celebrate your achievement virtually with your families and loved ones until we are able to reunite and celebrate together in person later in the year. Regardless of our postponement of commencement, your degrees and certificates will not be delayed and will be arriving via mail in the coming weeks.
On the topic of graduation, admittedly, with sadness, I mention that the postponed 2020 Commencement would have taken place this Saturday, May 2. It is a time that the MDC family looks forward to with great joy, as it brings together sharks from the past, present, and future, and their loved ones to celebrate our new graduates as they move up the educational ladder. Yet, being an institution of higher education that prides itself on resourcefulness and opportunity, we devised a way to move our celebration online. Graduates should have received an invitation to the #IAMMDC Alumni Club. Since our ceremonies are postponed, and we are unable to celebrate together due to social distancing, we are taking our #MDCGrad celebration to our social media channels. I invite you to follow us on social media and hear inspiring stories from MDC alumni while you tag @MDCollege and @MDCAlumni on all your festive selfies and videos. You are MDC Sharks for life, and we want to celebrate with you!
And to those continuing your studies at MDC, may you take a moment to rest, recharge, and recenter, as we all continue to collectively focus on moving your educational dreams forward. We know that many of you want to know if the summer semester will be online or face-to-face. Per the direction of Florida’s Governor, remote learning will continue through the end of the summer term. Also, please stay tuned for more information on our historic MDC CARES student support program which will be announced in the next couple weeks. It will provide unprecedented support for qualified students such as scholarships, stipends, and hardship support to keep many of you on track for you educational and career goals.
I want to end this note to all of you with something positive that I hope touches you as much as it touches me. Below is a link to a video that I dedicate to every single person in the MDC family. May it reinforce that even though we have been physically apart for a while, we are in this together and could not have reached the end of this semester without counting on each other for understanding, empathy, and support.
I truly hope you all continue to do well and stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rolando Montoya
Interim President
Miami Dade College