49 Ordinary Graduation
Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)

Rector's words

Madam Vice President of the Board of Regents, Eng. Claudia Franchesca de Los Santos
Members of the Board of Regents,
Members of the Academic Council and directors, teachers and collaborators of INTEC,
Guest speaker, Enrique Ramirez,
Graduates and Graduates,
Family and related,
Ladies and Gentlemen

I want to begin my words by expressing my sincere congratulations to each one of you, graduates and graduates. These congratulations reflect my admiration for the effort made so far, and for the significant achievement they have achieved on this day. I also congratulate their family members and those related to them, who have supported them over the years.

The graduation ceremony is held to give testimony to society that you have acquired the skills and attitudes necessary to successfully start or continue a professional life, and the concrete evidence on the performance of INTEC graduates allows me to trust that each one of you will have a bright and fulfilling path. In this sense, allow me to dedicate these words to share a few brief brushstrokes on the life trajectory of people who some years before were sitting in the same places where you are sitting now.

In 1985, in an act like this, the student with registration number 81-0313 received his Diploma as a Bachelor of Economics. Shortly after graduation, this graduate was elected National Deputy, and held that position for several periods, until he was elected in 1994 as President of the Chamber of Deputies. Later, he was Secretary of State of the Presidency in the periods 1996-2000 and 2004-2006, and in 2012 he was selected by popular vote to occupy the most important position in the State. I am referring, obviously, to the prominent INTEC graduate and today Constitutional President of the Republic, Mr. Danilo Medina.

In a second case, I will refer to the student with enrollment 83-0825, who graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1988. Later, that graduate completed his specialization in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the prestigious Monte Sinai Hospital, and studied Cardiology Interventionist at Miriam Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, in the United States. Upon his return to the country, together with a group of young cardiologists, he became involved in the creation of a center of medical excellence, today known as CEDIMAT.

He has been the recipient of various honors, including twice receiving the Award for Medical Excellence, and has been declared a Distinguished Citizen of the city of Santiago. But the most important thing is that, thanks to his work, thousands of people have saved their lives and that his leadership represents an inspiration for the development of other medical professionals. I am referring to the pride of Dominican surgery and a prominent INTEC graduate, Doctor Pedro Ureña.

Discipline and the ability to take on challenges on the part of international graduates have also generated other forms of achievement. In 1998, for example, the student with registration 92-0492, who graduated as a Bachelor of Administration, was in an act like this. Years later, that graduate moved the country with unprecedented feats as an ultra-distance swimmer. Among his feats are the English-French Channel swimming crossing (2004) and the world record in the round-trip crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar (2005). With good reason, the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization described this man as a "hero". I am referring to the outstanding INTEC graduate and pride of Dominican sport, Marcos Diaz.

For a last example of the international trajectory, I will present before you the case of a Systems Engineering student graduated in 1987. That graduate was later awarded a scholarship by the United States Agency for Development, did her Post-graduate degree at NYU and completed a Master of Systems at Boston University. Since then, he has had a distinguished career in Intelligence and Information Analysis for the Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, where he chairs professional and community associations. With good reason, he was selected as the "Community Leader of 2010" and as "One of the 100 Most Influential Latinos of 2009," the two highest honors given to the Latino community in Massachusetts. I am referring to the Outstanding Graduate of INTEC, an exceptional professional and social leader, Engineer Claritza Pacheco Abreu.

I bring before you those examples, ladies and gentlemen, to illustrate the value of the diploma that each of our male and female graduates will receive this morning, and the high expectations that INTEC and Dominican society have of each one of them. Being a graduate of a university of excellence is a privilege but it is also a call to take on great challenges and set high goals, not only for one's own development, but also to support the development of others. Consequently, an INTEC graduate cannot be indifferent to the great evils that limit our development: poverty, inequality, insecurity, corruption and, above all, ignorance. I hope that each one of you, male and female graduates, takes on the challenge of eradicating these evils.  

In closing, let me introduce our guest speaker, who is also a good example of international talent himself. Mr. Enrique Ramirez completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at INTEC, and completed a Master's degree in International Business at Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. His professional career began as Internal Auditor of one of the most important international banks and culminates with the Vice Presidency of International and Institutional Business at Banco Popular Dominicano.

He has been Regional Coordinator of the American Chamber of Commerce, member of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Association of Exporters (ADOEXPO) and executive of the Dominican Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE). He is also a founding member of the Juan XXIII organization of the Dominican Republic. He has been Administrative and Financial Vice Minister of the Presidency, and since July 2014 he is General Administrator of the Reserve Bank of the Dominican Republic.

Under his direction, the Reserve Bank has received significant international recognition. On the other hand, Mr. Ramírez combines his executive and institutional functions with an intense social agenda that involves numerous social and non-profit organizations, as well as an active participation in Christian communities.