Cuban American Women: Making History

Dr. Arnhilda Badía is a former Professor from Florida International University (FIU) and a former Florida State Representative. She has devoted her life to advocating for immigrant and dual language learners. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Meredith College and received a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She completed a postgraduate degree at Harvard University in Educational Leadership. With over 35 years of experience in teacher education, Dr. Badía has expertise in a wide variety of specialties including language policy, language acquisition, cross-cultural awareness, and curriculum development. She has received numerous awards and recognitions at the state and national levels, including the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Ramón Santiago Award in 2019. As the President of the José Martí Foundation, a non-profit organization, Dr. Badía has worked tirelessly to raise funds for scholarships. This organization has also established a partnership with NABE to recognize dual language leaders for their accomplishments at local and state levels. Currently, as President of Badía & Associates, Arnhilda works with school districts as an evaluator and educational consultant. She also designs and facilitates teacher-training workshops. She manages community projects involving civics education and citizenship. She is the author of several series of textbooks for children and adults.