I really appreciated that Chancellor Rodriguez took the time to speak with us. It was fascinating to learn about his journey to becoming the Chancellor of CUNY, starting at the University of Puerto Rico, Yale, Columbia, a professor at Hunter College, the president of Queens and Hostos Community College, and then the Chancellor. Interestingly, the Chancellor didn’t think he would get the job when he applied, since CUNY was looking for an outsider. Yet, he got the job anyway, which shows what type of an educator Chancellor Rodriguez is.

Chancellor Rodriguez spent a significant amount of time discussing CUNY’s partnerships with high schools, and even middle schools, which was really gratifying to see. Not only does CUNY run 20 high schools, but it has partnerships with other high schools through college now. In fact, 70% of CUNY students come from NYS public schools. As a matter of fact, Chancellor Rodriguez said that his proudest achievement as chancellor was the increased focus on career inspiration and engagement.

Chancellor Rodriguez assumed the position just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic raged the world. In this position, Chancellor Rodriguez was forced to make life and death decisions for an entire system, without first knowing all the facts, since the facts were not all well-known. Chancellor Rodriguez learned a notion of humility from this experience; the ability to be able to acknowledge that at times you don’t know what to do.

Overall, it was really powerful to hear from Chancellor Rodriguez, and I am grateful he took the time out of his day to speak with us.