Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Hispanic woman and first Cuban-American
elected to the United States Congress, has been named Phi Theta Kappa's
Distinguished Alumna for 2008. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen was inducted
into Phi Theta Kappa at Miami-Dade College, Kendall Campus, in Miami, Florida.
Ros-Lehtinen
has represented Florida's 18th Congressional District since her election
to the United States House of Representatives in 1989. She is the Ranking
Member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. While serving in this
role, the Congresswoman has been a tireless advocate for the advancement
of human rights across the globe, and a strong opponent of Castro's regime
in Cuba.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen came to Florida with her
family from their native Cuba. After completing high school in Miami and
graduating from Miami-Dade Community College, Ros-Lehtinen earned a
Bachelors of Arts in Education from Florida International University.
She then founded and served as the chief administrator of a private elementary
school. She completed a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership at FIU,
and earned a Doctorate of Higher Education from the University of Miami.
A
supporter of education, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen recently voted in
favor of a bill to reduce the interest rates on student loans. While in the
Florida Senate, she introduced legislation to create Florida's first
Pre-Paid College Tuition plan.
Read more about Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
online.
