The award recognizes the leadership and achievements of those who, from a teaching, student service, administration, or Board of Trustees position, contributed significantly to advancing our mission.
By Liz Yanira Del Valle
Contributor
Last Thursday, March 23, Sagrado Corazón University instituted the Medal for Distinguished Service to the University, which was awarded to Dr. Pedro A. González Ramos, president of Sagrado from 1972 to 1986.
During the emotional ceremony held at our Main Chapel, Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós, current president of the University, announced that this new recognition will bear the name of Dr. Pedro A. González Ramos.
“Sagrado’s mission is to educate people in intellectual freedom and moral conscience, in a willingness to participate in the construction of a more authentically Christian Puerto Rican society, a community of solidarity in justice and peace. This mission was developed a few years after Don Pedro finished his great work in our institution, but he had the vision of turning the University College into the Sagrado Corazón University that we know today,” Marxuach-Torrós said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ángel Torres Irizarry, president of Sagrado’s Board of Trustees, explained that the medal will recognize past members of our campus community who made substantial and lasting contributions to Sagrado’s mission.
This medal recognizes the leadership and achievements of people who, from a teaching, student service, administration, or Board of Trustees position, significantly contributed to advancing our mission.
Torres Irrizary also highlighted how Don Pedro transformed Sagrado by creating academic programs in Communication, Natural Sciences, and Business Administration; promoting continuing education; and expanding graduate programs. He also developed cultural and artistic activities, established the dolphin as Sagrado’s mascot, saw that our institution’s entered the Interuniversity Athletic League (LAI, Spanish acronym), and coordinated the visit of Pope John Paul II to our campus.
Ángel de Jesús, dean of Administration during the presidency of Don Pedro, stated that the award winner was “a great leader who led by example, a strategic and visionary person who never gave up in the face of challenges.”
For his part, Luis Carlos Rojas González, Don Pedro’s grandson, said that his grandfather would repeat to him: “(I urge you to) never lose your love and interest in learning, no matter what stage of life you are in.”
The evening included the participation of other relatives and friends of Don Pedro’s, as well as Dr. José Jaime Rivera, past president of Sagrado; members of the previous and present Boards of Trustees; and current and retired employees of our institution.
This first Medal for Distinguished Service to the University was designed by Sagrado’s Center for Collaborative Innovation (Neeuko).