Miami-Dade Students, Educators & Community Leaders Honored at Nova Southeastern University’s 13th Annual Cervantes Awards – Oct. 27

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – More than two dozen Miami-Dade County students and educators will be honored at the 13th Annual Cervantes Awards for Outstanding Hispanic Education, hosted by Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Fischler School of Education and Human Services and its Hispanic Advisory Board on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

The annual awards recognize those who have made a significant contribution in the education of Hispanic students in Miami-Dade County.

The 2010 awards ceremony will take place Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Miami Airport Hotel, 5101 Blue Lagoon Drive in Miami. More than 450 educators and parents will gather to honor this year’s award recipients, who include student writers, outstanding educators, up and coming scholars, and community leaders.

NSU’s Education Provost and University Dean H. Wells Singleton, Ph.D., will present Cervantes Awards to more than 20 distinguished educators from across Miami-Dade County.

Prizes will also be presented to students who competed in the Cervantes Outstanding Essay Contest in September. Essays could be written in English or Spanish, and each Miami-Dade County school selected one entry per category to compete county-wide. Topics included:

• “What I value about Hispanic culture” for 5th grade students
• “Hispanic role models who have influenced my life” for 8th grade students
• “How my education has led me to contribute to the Hispanic community of Miami” for 11th and 12th grade students

NSU Chancellor Ray Ferrero, Jr., J.D., will be the evening’s keynote speaker and is the honoree receiving the prestigious Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award. Ferrero is being honored for his tireless commitment to students, as evidenced by NSU’s outstanding record as first in the nation for number of doctorate degrees and first professional degrees awarded to Hispanics.  Under Ferrero’s direction, NSU has also ranked third in the number of master’s degrees awarded to Hispanics nationally. 

Because of its large Hispanic student enrollment, NSU has also been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. As a result, NSU has been awarded three separate Title V grants from the Department of Education.  These grants are designed to increase retention rates and graduation rates of Hispanic students, and through these grants, Ferrero has overseen programs and initiatives to help countless students complete their studies, earn a degree, and start their careers or advance in their current career.

For more information about the 2010 Cervantes Awards, please contact Armando Rodriguez at 305-905-6517 or 954-262-3459.

About Fischler School of Education and Human Services at NSU: Serving more than 15,000 students in approximately 40 countries, Nova Southeastern University’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services is one of the largest schools of education at an accredited university in the United States. When we opened our doors more than 35 years ago, we shattered the barriers of traditional learning, causing a ripple effect that can still be felt today. Online, on-site, or on our modern, 18-acre campus in North Miami Beach, Florida, our ideas, our approach, and our programs—found nowhere else in the nation—inspire our students to inspire the people around them to move the world.

Media Contact:
Andra Liwag, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5309 (office), 954-873-8494 (cell), andrali@nova.edu