Last week, the University of Central Florida marked the appointment of the first Hispanic superintendent in Orange County Public Schools with a celebratory feature.
Maria F. Vazquez, Ed.D., first received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida. At UCF, she completed a master’s in educational leadership and administration, as well as her doctorate in curriculum and instruction.
By 2018, Vazquez had become the district’s deputy superintendent. She previously held leadership roles such as assistant principal, principal, executive area director, and chief academic officer.
Vazquez told UCF News that her Cuban-born parents made sacrifices for their family and always emphasized the importance of education.
“Education was incredibly important to them,” she told UCF.. “We knew the sacrifices that they made for my sister and I to have a better life. When I started school, I did not speak any English. I had incredible teachers who believed in me and pushed me, and I was successful. It was because of them that I was able to have the opportunity to go on to college and become a teacher. It’s my way of saying thank you to my parents for their sacrifice, and it’s also my way of giving back to those incredibly caring adults who created a learning environment where I felt safe and supported.”
Vazquez also credited her time at UCF with helping to lay the foundation for a successful career in education leadership.
“I did not gain a true understanding of what was possible in the area of education until I went through my doctoral program,” she said. “The professors were incredible. They challenged and pushed us, but they were also very supportive. I had a phenomenal team surrounding and supporting me through my doctoral work, which focused on whether the power of professional development in special education would impact perceptions that principals had of students with special needs. It was a very enriching experience.”
Vazquez also said mentoring helped her see the opportunity of pursuing a path to the job of superintendent. With support and guidance,
from fellow UCF alumna Barbara Jenkins, who served in the superintendent role for 10 years, she took on additional responsibilities and engaged in more work with partners. “I started to sit on more boards in our community, and I felt that I could take the helm as the next superintendent.”
Those boards include City Year Orlando, the American Heart Association, CareerSource Central Florida, YMCA of Central Florida, and the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it forced Vazquez and her colleagues to think outside the box and work toward finding solutions for the issues it posed. That experience further solidified her desire to continue making a difference in education.
Vazquez said she is looking forward to serving in the role of superintendent at a time when leaders have been tasked with reimagining ways to use time, resources, and learning spaces to educate children.
“We need to capitalize on this moment to be able to improve those opportunities for our children,” she says. “I also hope that other children who have stories similar to my own see that if they set a goal and work hard, they will be able to succeed and it will be life-changing. I am a living, breathing example of the power education has to transform lives.”
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