Alumni:<\/p>\n
Raleigh Mann<\/em><\/p>\n It was 1961 when Raleigh Mann, now 76, realized he wanted to be a journalist.\u00a0 Serving as editor-in-chief for the first volume of\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>, Mann says sharing information is a calling.<\/p>\n Mann gave credit to Barbara Garfunkel, director of publications for\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0during his tenure, for steering staff in the right direction.<\/p>\n \u201cShe encouraged us all, she really loved us,\u201d Mann said. \u201cWe had so many late night phone calls stressing deadline. It was wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n The Falcon Times taught Mann how to treat the student body with heart. Mann believes that the most important person is the reader, not the one who produces it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were a team. We felt like pioneers,\u201d Mann said. \u201cWe were excited about starting something new and important. We set the standard.\u201d<\/p>\n Mann met his wife, Betsy, while he was editor of the paper. She was administrative assistant to then Miami- Dade Junior College’s first two presidents, Kenneth Williams and Peter Masiko.<\/p>\n \u201cI needed to speak with the college’s president about a campus issue and, of course, needed to cultivate my sources, including the important behind-the-scenes people such as the president’s assistant,\u201d Mann said.\u00a0 \u201cWe began dating and were married several months later, now 48 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n On staff until 1963, Mann moved on to the University of South Florida and majored in political science. In 1965, he wrote for the Ft. Lauderdale News and did stints at the West Holllywood and Broward County bureaus. In 1967, Mann went to the Miami Herald for 10 years, later moving up north to teach mass communications at the University of North Carolina until 2000.<\/p>\n Mann is retired and enjoys playing golf.<\/p>\n -Monique Madan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ana Veciana-Suarez<\/em><\/p>\n Ana Veciana-Suarez, 53, is a Miami Dade College alumnus.\u00a0 Veciana-Suarez wrote for the\u00a0Downtowner<\/em>, the student newspaper at the Wolfson Campus from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, Veciana-Suarez interviewed Jimmy Carter when he came to speak at MDC.<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Downtowner<\/em>] taught me to hustle. I\u2019ve always had an ear for language, so it helped me to develop that,\u201d said Veciana-Suarez. \u201cIt also taught me how to write on deadline, something I now live by.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only was she given the opportunity to interact with acclaimed individuals, learn journalism ethics and obey deadline dates, but the\u00a0Downtowner<\/em>\u00a0also served as the meeting ground that united her and her future partner, Leo Suarez.<\/p>\n Leo Suarez was the editor-in-chief of the paper at the time. He later moved on to write for the\u00a0Palm Beach Post<\/em>,\u00a0The Miami Herald<\/em>\u00a0and the\u00a0Miami News<\/em>. He passed away about 10 years ago. They were married for 15.<\/p>\n Veciana Suarez attended the University of South Florida where she then wrote for her student newspaper, The Oracle.<\/p>\n She has worked for\u00a0The Miami News<\/em>,\u00a0The Palm Beach Post<\/em>\u00a0and currently for\u00a0The<\/em>\u00a0Miami Herald<\/em>as a syndicated columnist. Several anthologies have published her commentaries, and she has won many awards for her writing which include a first place Sunshine State Award in 1995 and a first place Excellence in Feature Writing in 1996.<\/p>\n -Monique Madan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Beatriz Hines<\/em><\/p>\n Beatrice Hines, 72, never dreamed she would make history.<\/p>\n It was 1964 when she did.<\/p>\n Working the night shift as a maid at\u00a0The Miami Herald<\/em>, Hines was faced with the racial discrimination of the 1960s. One day, she asked the book editor, who spent late nights in the newsroom, to revise her education essays for school.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me that I should apply to be a reporter and that I was good,\u201d said Hines. \u201cHe said I should be ready, that things are going to change and that they will not remain the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Hines took this as a sign.<\/p>\n She applied to be a file clerk and was hired. Hines was the first African American women to hold a white collar position at\u00a0The Miami Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was so nervous. I felt like I had so much more at stake than anyone else. I was a mother of two young children at 27,\u201d Hines said.<\/p>\n Hines, who attended Miami Dade College\u2019s North Campus in 1967, decided to switch majors from education to journalism in hopes of a promotion, so she decided to write for the student newspaper.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first story at\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0was to go interview the new cafeteria manager,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Hines was scared to tell her mother about her new career path fearing she would refuse to take care of her children while she was at school and working.\u00a0 Hines was mocked by her friends.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was confronted with a problem, I would ask myself \u2018what would Jesus do?\u2019 I learned that if one has faith, God would tell them how to deal with certain situations,\u201d Hines said.<\/p>\n In 1970, Hines became\u00a0The Miami Herald\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0first African American woman reporter.<\/p>\n \u201cI give all credit to\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>,\u201d Hines said. \u201cThe Herald<\/em>\u00a0handed me a desk and a typewriter. I had to pull what I learned from my school paper.\u201d<\/p>\n Hines went on to become a general assignment reporter. Her debut consisted of her covering a riot in Liberty City. It made the front page.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I lean on my faith, I can get through anything,\u201d said Hines. \u201cI was never afraid anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1982.\u00a0Savvy<\/em>\u00a0magazine also named her one of the top five woman columnists in the country in 1983.<\/p>\n Hines retired in 2001, but continues to freelance for\u00a0The Miami Herald\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0Neighbor\u2019s section.<\/p>\n -Monique Madan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eliott Rodriguez<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWrite more and draw less\u201d were the words that changed CBS4 News anchor, Eliott Rodriguez\u2019s life.<\/p>\n As a student at Miami Dade College he aspired to be an artist until a journalism professor encouraged him to join the student newspaper at the Kendall Campus, the\u00a0Catalyst.<\/em><\/p>\n It seems Rodriguez made the right choice.<\/p>\n He has two Emmy Awards.<\/p>\n Rodriguez started his professional journalism career as a police reporter at the now defunct Miami News.\u00a0 He has also worked at WTVJ and WPLG in Miami and WPVI in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Rodriguez has interviewed Fidel Castro, covered the Mariel Boatlift, Pope John Paul II\u2019s health issues, elections in Nicaragua and the invasion of Panama.<\/p>\n He said the experience he got at the\u00a0Catalyst<\/em>\u00a0was vital to his success.<\/p>\n \u201cI always say that the experience I got at Miami Dade College put me on the path to where I am now,\u201d Rodriguez said, \u201ca path I have been on for 30 years as a journalist.\u201d<\/p>\n Rodriguez started at the\u00a0Catalyst<\/em>\u00a0as a cartoonist in 1974. After discovering his passion for journalism he served as features editor, assistant news editor and news editor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe things that I learned at the\u00a0Catalyst<\/em>\u00a0are not things I would have learned in the class room,\u201d Rodriguez said, \u201csuch as dealing with different personalities, interviewing people, getting people on the phone and getting them to answer tough questions. You learn them by doing them.\u201d<\/p>\n -Alexandra de Armas<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rick Jervis<\/em><\/p>\n Riding the train to cover events in the heart of Miami is what Rick Jervis, 39, remembers most about his days as a student journalist at the Wolfson Campus.<\/p>\n Jervis was a staff writer for the Metropolis from 1990 to 1992.<\/p>\n \u201cThe paper was everything to me,\u201d Jervis said. \u201cAt first, I was not clear with what I wanted to do, but then it became clear. \u201c<\/p>\n Jervis says his media adviser, Jose Quevedo, was his main reason of inspiration; he showed him direction.<\/p>\n During his time at the\u00a0Metropolis<\/em>, Jervis had many opportunities to cover top-notch events like Miami Heat basketball games.<\/p>\n Other stories Jervis wrote revolved around the homelessness issue in downtown Miami. Those stories gave Jervis a \u201cfeel for a big city paper.\u201d<\/p>\n After Miami Dade College, Jervis attended the University of Florida for three years. He later interned at\u00a0The Tennessean<\/em>, and the\u00a0Boston Globe<\/em>.\u00a0 From there, he became a reporter for\u00a0The Miami Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n He later freelanced in several countries such as Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia.\u00a0 Jervis also write for the Chicago Tribune covering crime.<\/p>\n Now stationed in New Orleans, Jervis is currently the Gulf Coast Correspondent for USA Today.\u00a0 He has been covering the BP oil spill.<\/p>\n \u201cI was curious about the world.\u201d said Jervis. \u201cThe Metropolis<\/em>\u00a0gave me my skeleton for my career.\u201d<\/p>\n -Monique Madan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jay Ducassi<\/em><\/p>\n As a student at Miami Dade College, Jay Ducassi hoped to be the next Robert Duvall.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until a journalism professor at the North Campus suggested he write for\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>, that he discovered his true passion.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t realize then that this would be my life\u2019s calling,\u201d Ducassi said, \u201cthat this would be what I would do for the past 30 years.\u201d<\/p>\n He is currently the metro desk editor for\u00a0The Miami Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n Ducassi began as a staff writer for\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0in 1978 and was promoted to editorial editor after a semester.<\/p>\n He recalls his first assignment, covering a visit by comedian Michael Keegan, to the North Campus.<\/p>\n \u201cI covered the show and then I got to talk to him, it was terrific,\u201d Ducassi said. \u201cIt was the first time I got close to a celebrity. After the first two stories that I did, I was hooked on the writing and on the reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience Ducassi received on\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0is what \u201cessentially\u201d led him to where he is today.<\/p>\n \u201cThe basics I learned at\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0are the same that I use today,\u201d Ducassi said. \u201cGo out to report on a story, write it by deadline, file it and move to the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n Ducassi gives Jose Quevedo,\u00a0The Falcon Times<\/em>\u00a0faculty adviser during his tenure, credit for what he has accomplished.<\/p>\n \u201cQ had an incredibly infectious enthusiasm about journalism and it was great,\u201d Ducassi said, \u201cjust being around him. He loved to talk about journalism and good stories and going out there and kicking [butt]; it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n Ducassi is still surprised that journalism ended up being his calling, but he is thankful.<\/p>\n \u201cI plan on doing it as long as I am around,\u201d Ducassi said.<\/p>\n -Alexandra de Armas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alumni: Raleigh Mann It was 1961 when Raleigh Mann, now 76, realized he wanted to be a journalist.\u00a0 Serving as editor-in-chief for the first volume of\u00a0The Falcon Times, Mann says sharing information is a calling. Mann gave credit to Barbara Garfunkel, director of publications for\u00a0The Falcon Times\u00a0during his tenure, for steering staff in the right […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\n