Gerardo Gonzalez

One decision can change the trajectory of your life.

For Dr. Gerardo Gonzalez, that choice came 60 years ago, when he was 11 years old and living in Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution, his parents faced a difficult decision: Stay and endure the unforeseen future, or start a new life in a foreign country.

Soon, the choice was made. The Gonzalez family left everything they’d ever known to brave a new start in the United States.

“We only had $5, the clothes on our backs, and personal items in hand,” Gonzalez recalled. “We didn’t even know any English. But my parents wanted a better life for my younger sister and me.”

Once in the U.S., Gonzalez’s parents declared their intentions for the family: to ensure their children reached their potential through the pursuit of education.

“My parents emphasized that in order for their sacrifices to pay off, we had to get an education,” Gonzalez recalled.

His mother worked hard at home in Cuba and later in shoe and embroidery factories in the U.S. His father was a car mechanic for his entire life. He often showed Gonzalez his hands, leathered with 40 years of cuts and hot engine oil burns.

“Mira a mis manos. Mira a mis manos. Quiero que obtengas una educación!” he told his young son.

“Look at my hands. Look at my hands. I want you to get an education!”

A first-generation graduate

After Gonzalez graduated from high school, he felt lost.

“I was in despair. I had no idea what I was going to do with my future,” he shared. But his friend, Rafael, posed a life-changing question: “Why don't you go to college?”

Gonzalez was puzzled.

“Me? College? The thought of continuing my education was so foreign to me,” he said. His family had no university legacy, SAT prep advice, or connections to a dean. But with Rafael’s continued encouragement, Gonzalez applied to Miami Dade Junior College in 1969.

A few years later, history was made for the Gonzalez family: Gerardo became the first family member to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a PhD in counselor education and higher education administration from the University of Florida.

Over time, Gonzalez observed two critical things about higher education:

1. College affords access to free expression and fundamental democratic freedoms.
2. Not everyone can afford college to gain said freedoms.

“Even with [Miami Dade’s] low tuition and fees, my family and I couldn’t afford it on our own,” said Gonzalez.

It was only with the help of federal financial assistance that Gonzalez could pay for his degree.

“I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I did if there weren’t people on the way giving me a helping hand.”

From student to educator to benefactor

For more than 20 years, Gonzalez put his degrees into practice at the University of Florida in a range of academic and administrative roles. Then, he was recruited to Indiana University to serve as dean of the IU School of Education. Under his leadership, the school was named one of the best in the nation for 15 consecutive years. Gonzalez served as the second-longest-sitting dean and won numerous awards during his tenure—from IU and beyond.

Years later, Gonzalez found himself in a position to help students in a different way.

Recognizing the barriers that many talented individuals face in accessing higher education, he and his wife took action, creating the Gerardo M. and Marjorie A. Gonzalez Dissertation Fellowship.

“When I had the opportunity to invest in IU beyond my role as dean, I wanted to make a gift,” he said. “This was my first major gift to any institution.”

Though the donation was originally conceived as an estate gift, Gonzalez later converted the gift into a Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity (DCGA). Upon Gonzalez’s retirement from IU, a group of alumni honored him by endowing the fellowship.

“Now, when the time comes, the gift I signed will add to that fellowship,” he shared. “I am deeply grateful. It brings me immense joy to see this gift support students during my lifetime.”

Subsequently, Gonzalez created another scholarship at IU: the Gerardo M. Gonzalez Refugee and Underrepresented Student Scholarship. He has also donated a collection of artifacts from his experience as a Cuban refugee to IU’s University Archives—a collection students can view and learn from for generations to come.

The legacy of a helping hand

When Gonzalez’s father passed away at 92 years old, Gonzalez took solace in the knowledge that his own career and philanthropy honored his father’s legacy.

“My father was among the wisest men I’ve ever known,” Gonzalez shared. “He and my mother are my heroes.”

His father’s reminder to “look at my hands” was a catalyst for Gonzalez’s success. The subsequent legacy that has been created at IU will stand as a reminder that a helping mano can change someone’s life forever.

To learn how you can join Gerardo in creating educational opportunities through your own planned gift, please contact the Office of Gift Planning Services at 800-558-8311 or giftplan@iu.edu. We would be honored to assist you.