I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that, if possible, they should pursue an advanced degree. I am convinced that education is the great equalizer.

Good education means learning to read, write and most importantly learn how to learn so that you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up.

I realized that I would have some very tough sledding, and I was very discouraged because I didn't see much hope of getting into the field I wanted to get into with no college education.

It was depressing, very depressing. I worried about how I would make a living. I didn't want to stay on the farm. It didn't offer the challenge I wanted and yet, without a college education, I felt that I was really out of luck.

My job is to make sure that if you're a family in Florida, your children can get a good education and you have the opportunity for a job. That's my job and that's what I think about every day.