A New School of Thought
Jacqueline Rodriguez ’13PhD had no idea her studies and service work would eventually take her to the front lines of one of our nation’s most important challenges.
Dozens of children ages 5 to 12 spent a sunny afternoon sharing their passion for baseball and Hispanic/Latino/a/x pride during UCF’s second annual Puerto Rico Baseball Day, organized by the UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub in collaboration with UCF Athletics and UCF Global Perspectives and International Initiatives.
The day’s activities featured Major League Baseball (MLB)’s Play Ball youth clinic. The free event tested participants’ skills at several practice stations. With appearances from former MLB players and volunteers, organizers aimed to inspire the next generation of Hispanic athletes by playing and discussing the game that’s the pulse of Puerto Rico: baseball.
“We are happy to celebrate Puerto Rico and its rich baseball history at UCF. This event helps unleash the potential of our youth as future leaders and serves as an example of the power of partnerships.”
— Fernando Rivera, Puerto Rico Research Hub director
2018
The year the UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub was founded to provide essential information about the islanders and their migration following Hurricane Maria
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Skill stations were set up at the UCF Softball Complex to test participants’ baserunning and bat and ball abilities
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Former MLB players attended: all-star Carlos Baerga from the Cleveland Guardians and Willie Collazo from the New York Mets, who both played for Puerto Rico in the 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic
Professor of Sociology and Puerto Rico Research Hub Director Fernando Rivera
Former MLB player Willie Collazo from the New York Mets
