Vaughn College was commended by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao at the Department of Transportation’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on Wednesday, September 26. Her remarks celebrated the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to the transportation industry and how institutions like Vaughn are preparing the next generation of professionals for success in their careers.

“Two weeks ago, the FAA held its first Aviation Workforce Symposium, which has ignited a national conversation on how to attract young people from all backgrounds to aviation careers,” Chao said. “To increase diversity, organizers targeted a mix of colleges and universities, such as Vaughn College in Queens, New York. Vaughn is an example of a student body that includes many first-generation Americans and first-generation college students. Vaughn is lauded for advancing social mobility and was recently ranked by The New York Times #1 in upward mobility rate. Such initiatives help inspire and support the next generation of Hispanic-American leaders in transportation.”

You can read Secretary Chao’s full comments here.