The University of Hartford continues to be a venue of choice for federal and state officials. In a single week this year, UHart hosted two high-profile visitors to announce policy and to have important conversations shaping the future of those they serve.
On January 31, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont chose the Hartford HealthCare Immersive Simulation Labs located in the Hursey Center to announce his fiscal 2025 budget proposal. It was a fitting venue, as the proposal included a recommendation that application fees required for workers to obtain certain jobs in the health care, education, and child care fields be eliminated.
The goal is to encourage job-seekers to enter these rapidly growing fields—exactly the kinds of opportunities for which the Hursey Center was created to train students.
A few days later, on February 2, United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and his wife, Marissa Perez Cardona, a college and career coordinator, were at the Wilde Auditorium to speak on diversity, particularly as it relates to their own lives and careers. In a very real sense, it was a visit from a neighbor: Cardona was raised in Meriden, Connecticut, where he also began his career as a fourth-grade teacher. He went on to become the youngest elementary school principal in the state, and to serve two years as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Education.
During the event, officially titled “Prosperity, Power, and Progress: The Significant Strides Made by the Latinx/Hispanic Community,” the Cardonas spoke on topics that included
advice for minority populations, ways to get ahead, and the importance of role models. “What makes us different is what makes us unique,”Miguel Cardona said.
Marissa Perez Cardona added, “Never forget where you came from. My mother was my biggest role model because she instilled in me faith, family, and a passion for education.”
This story was published in the Fall 2024 edition of H, UHart's magazine.