TAMPA — Ana G. Mendez University in Tampa has grown from about 500 students to roughly 9,000 over the past 20 years, serving many native Spanish speakers and immigrant students through expanded academic programs and bilingual learning options.
The university, founded in Puerto Rico, later expanded to the Tampa Bay area. Campus leaders say its growth reflects the needs of the community it serves, including students from Cuba, Venezuela, and other countries.
Viviana Barrabia, campus director of Ana G. Mendez University’s Tampa Bay campus, said about 99% of the university’s students are Hispanic. She said the school has expanded beyond traditional associate and bachelor’s degrees to include technical programs and more flexible ways to learn.
“We’re not just adapting with the different academic programs we offer but the way that we offer the programs, whether that be English, Spanish, bilingual and offerings in person and virtually,” Barrabia said.
She said offering classes in multiple languages and formats helps students balance school with work, family, and life in a new country.
“We are that opportunity that these students have to be able to work with their language and also be able to grow as professionals here,” Barrabia said.
For instructor Tania Brinas Padilla, the university’s mission is personal. She immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba in 2015 and enrolled at Ana G. Mendez University while pursuing a career in healthcare.
“The school system that we have in our countries, Latin American areas is much different than the education you receive here, although medicine is universal,” Brinas Padilla said.
She said adjusting to a new education system and a new language was not easy, but she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2022. Today, she works as a nurse practitioner and teaches at the university.
“I say the tears and sacrifices of today is the happiness of tomorrow,” Brinas Padilla said.
The university is also expanding its focus on entrepreneurship. It will host an event on Sept. 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. for students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial careers.