For the Love of Academia

By Sissi Aguila ’99

College administrator Gina Cortés-Suárez Ed.D. ’03 has never been able to stray too far from campus. It is her cultural oasis and she is a professional academic. Now, her passion for higher learning has led her right to the top.

In January, Miami-Dade College (MDC) appointed Cortés-Suárez president of its InterAmerican Campus, located in the heart of Little Havana.

The FIU College of Education graduate has worked for the institution in various capacities for nearly 30 years, including as project director, associate registrar, director of the Hialeah campus, department chairperson, associate dean, dean of academic affairs, associate provost for college accreditation and associate provost for faculty initiatives.

MDC’s mission is to provide anyone with a desire the opportunity to get a college degree. Cortés-Suárez also considers education her personal mission. Under her tutelage, 17,000 students defy their circumstances and become professionals. “Daily, I live the stories of people who were never meant to make it and go on to become community leaders,” she boasts.

In 2003, Cortés-Suárez got one step closer toward becoming a leader, too, when she earned her doctorate in higher education administration from FIU.

“My time at FIU was different from my previous college experience,” she says. “It was an adult experience.”

While in graduate school, she worked full-time at MDC in high-stress positions that made it a challenge for her to regroup for class and study. Nonetheless, she finished her dissertation on attributional style and academic achievements in mathematics.

“I had wonderful professors whose knowledge and experience were invaluable to me,” she recalls.

The Golden Panther now relies on her education for creative solutions. Cortés-Suárez concedes her new position is not without its challenges, particularly space. Enrollment continues to grow even though MDC’s InterAmerican Campus has scarce real estate to expand.

“At heart, I am a teacher,” she says. (Cortés-Suárez also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Miami.) “I try to always remember that the classroom is the focus of our institution.”

The Miami native’s aspirations extend beyond MDC. She also gives back to the community by serving on the boards of Early Learning Coalition, Citrus Health Networks, Symmetry Foundation, Latin Chambers of Commerce (CAMACOL) and Viernes Culturales.

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