CSU Chancellor Mildred García, the first Latina in the nation to lead a four-year public university system, received the Puerto Rican Heritage Award from Comité Noviembre at its annual benefit.
The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an unconditional commitment and dedication to the preservation of Puerto Rican culture and history, and who serve as advocates for higher education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and Latinx youth. The committee cited Chancellor García's personal and professional trajectory in creating a legacy that will leave a unique cultural imprint on the Puerto Rican community and beyond.
Chancellor García, whose parents migrated to New York from Puerto Rico before she was born, calls herself a "proud Nuyorican," reflecting her diverse cultural influences. The first in her family to earn a degree, Chancellor García has devoted her career to ensuring students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to earn a life-changing college degree.
Comité Noviembre is a nonprofit organization that commemorates and pays tribute to the contributions Puerto Ricans have made to the United States. Its mission is to create educational opportunities for youth through college scholarships, as well as promote, acknowledge and create awareness of the importance of young people knowing their rich culture, language and history.
Comité Noviembre is the only collaboration of its kind in the U.S. that brings together the collective talents and resources of some of the oldest and most prestigious Puerto Rican organizations including ASPIRA of New York, Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños Hunter College/CUNY and El Museo del Barrio.