Value testimony over titles. Every day is a job interview. Don’t be limited by your current goals.
Those were a few of the messages former U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona gave to Southern Connecticut State University graduate students at their commencement ceremony on Thursday night.
Cardona was born and raised in Meriden, Connecticut. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University, taught 4th grade in his hometown, and was later the state education secretary. In 2021, he joined former President Joe Biden’s (D) cabinet, where he served all four years.
While speaking to SCSU graduates at Total Morgage Arena in Bridgeport on Thursday night, Cardona also made a handful of references to the hit Broadway show Hamilton (Governor Ned Lamont (D) was also once fond of referencing the play).
Cardona reflected on his job interview to join the Lamont administration — where the two found common ground as Hamilton fans.
“After we got all the serious stuff out of the way, I got up to leave, and I remembered what he said about Hamilton, so I got up all serious. I looked him in the eyes, and I said, ‘Governor, just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry, and I'm not throwing away my shot.’”
“I'm not saying that's why I got the job, but it didn't hurt,” Cardona said. “It did not hurt.”
Cardona has been floated as a possible replacement for Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Terrence Cheng. When recently asked about that possibility, Lamont said he wasn't ready to comment.
During Thursday’s ceremony, multiple speakers referenced the value of Southern’s diverse class. The name Donald Trump was not mentioned — but the messages were clear: diversity was and is a vital part of education.
“Our nation is constantly made better by our beautifully diverse people, no matter what people are saying these days,” Cardona said.
Diversity, Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies Dr. Rabia Hos said, was also a cornerstone of academic research at the university.
Hos rattled off a few of the projects students participated in while obtaining their degrees: the effects of systemic racism affect mental health care in African Ameican commnuities, how to break down language barriers for immigrant families, and the development of role playing therapy models for neurodiverse kids.
“I have spent my career researching and writing about multilingual learners and immigrant students, those whose identities and experiences are often pushed to the margins in classroom and policies,” Hos said. “I continue to write, publish and speak because I believe scholarship should live beyond the page. It must challenge inequity, elevate silent voices and create space for all students to thrive.”
