Building a Multi-Cultural World
Brendan Monroe
Issue date: 10/23/09 Section: Life & Times
Dr. Toledo's first hand experience with poverty is rarely ever seen among politicians, many of whom are bred their entire lives for a career in public office. Dr. Toledo credits the unusual exception to the norm back to one thing.
"What has given me the privilege to come to Rollins, or to go to Harvard and to Stanford? Education," the self-described "fanatic for education" said, the passion in his voice resonating in the hearts and minds of the students in attendance. In each of his multiple talks on campus last Thursday, Dr. Toledo stressed the importance of servitude, telling Rollins students "there is two-thirds of the world population that is waiting for you to do something for them."
It's a message that resonated strongly with Economics major Norah Perez (Class of 2010).
"The most important thing I took from it all was the call to action that he gave. Saying that we have been given these opportunities and now we need to share this with people who don't have the same opportunities. And that definitely means a lot coming from somebody who was given an opportunity at a young age to get an education which ultimately changed the course of his life."
Dr. Toledo described the string of events that led to his presidency as a "continuous succession of accidents," but one cannot help but wonder whether such "accidents" were truly meant to be.
"In order to walk the path of the future, we need to know where we come from." Dr. Alejandro Toledo is living proof of why we should never forget.
"What has given me the privilege to come to Rollins, or to go to Harvard and to Stanford? Education," the self-described "fanatic for education" said, the passion in his voice resonating in the hearts and minds of the students in attendance. In each of his multiple talks on campus last Thursday, Dr. Toledo stressed the importance of servitude, telling Rollins students "there is two-thirds of the world population that is waiting for you to do something for them."
It's a message that resonated strongly with Economics major Norah Perez (Class of 2010).
"The most important thing I took from it all was the call to action that he gave. Saying that we have been given these opportunities and now we need to share this with people who don't have the same opportunities. And that definitely means a lot coming from somebody who was given an opportunity at a young age to get an education which ultimately changed the course of his life."
Dr. Toledo described the string of events that led to his presidency as a "continuous succession of accidents," but one cannot help but wonder whether such "accidents" were truly meant to be.
"In order to walk the path of the future, we need to know where we come from." Dr. Alejandro Toledo is living proof of why we should never forget.
Be the first to comment on this story