As one of the leading financial institutions in the world, Citi Group has continued its commitment in citing and giving special recognition to over-achieving staff from their offices all around the globe. For 2010, and as part of the company’s dedication to microfinance, especially among poor nations in the world, Citi again collaborated with the Central Bank of Nigeria in awarding their Nigerian employees who excelled in 2009 in the area of microfinance.

Last January 21, Citi handed out recognitions to their employees who showed a firm resolve in pursuing and making microfinance available to entrepreneurs from all over the country. The awards aim to encourage more locals to become entrepreneurs themselves through Citi’s micro-entrepreneurship program. The awards were divided into five major categories including Best Micro Business Model, Most Marketed Product, Most Innovative Product, Employment Generation and Best Female Entrepreneur. Microfinance institutions from all around Nigeria contributed in choosing the award recepients for each category.

An estimated $40,000 was awarded by the company to the Growing Business Foundation, so that it can push through with the awards in Nigeria. Last year, Citi Group donated a total of $1.2 million to Micro-Entrepreneurship Awards program in 20 countries where it is operating, including Nigeria.

The program has been successful, especially since it has increased awareness and curiosity among the people in middle to low-income countries regarding micro-entrepreneurship. The program aims to support micro-entrepreneurs financially so that they may be able to continue the role that they play in their local economies. The program became even more relevant last 2009 as the whole world felt the effects of the worldwide economic recession.

“Entrepreneurship is a key driver in any economy and we are proud to be supporting Nigerian entrepreneurs who are working hard to grow their businesses and local economies,” comments Emeka Emuwa of Citibank Nigeria Limited.

Hope continues to grow for the Haitian people as more and more individuals and groups continue to provide aid and donations to the people of Haiti. People from all over the world, from ordinary citizens to some of the most influential people, have chipped in and done their part in raising the hopes of the victims amidst all of the rubble and destruction surrounding them.

Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, a telethon aimed to raise funds for Haiti and its people, was held recently and was participated in by many of Hollywood’s best and brightest celebrities. Filled with performances and appearances by some of today’s most popular stars, the telethon was one of the avenues where people came to show their support for the Haiti relief operations. Stars like George Clooney, Wyclef Jean, Jay-Z, Rihanna and U2 spearheaded the event and lent their talents to the show.

Some of the world’s biggest corporations also sent aid to the country. These include Cable News Network (CNN), Procter & Gamble, and some others who pledged generous amounts of money and sent their own teams of medical staff to reinforce the efforts in Haiti.

US President Barack Obama expressed his support and help to their neighboring country and deployed thousands of US Army personnel to provide stability in the earthquake-ravaged country.

Ben Stiller, founder of stillerstrong.org and Haitian Schools Initiative, and also a participant in the Hope for Haiti telethon, said that it is crucial for the world to help the victims in Haiti. He says that the more money people will raise, the more money there will be for building schools for the children of Haiti.

Since almost every infrastructure in the country was brought down by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit the country early in January 2010, food and shelter, among other things, are needed now more than ever by the thousands of victims left homeless by the devastating disaster.

The Haiti earthquake last January 12, 2010 provided the world with various pictures of human tragedy, devastation and death. Hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the people of the little island country of Haiti have been set up in temporary relocation camps outside of Port-au-Prince. The Haitian government is also focusing its efforts on finishing the building of temporary schools where the earthquake survivors and their families will eventually settle.

The tragedy has shown how people can join together to help their fellow humans. Several governments and powerful individuals, including Hollywood celebrities, have pledged wealth and utilities to the island nation to aid and somehow help Haitians recover from the traumatic tragedy.

Ben Stiller, one of the most recognizable Hollywood stars around the world, has launched the Haitian Schools Initiative that is aimed at providing Haitian children with temporary schools and places to learn while they clean up the rubble and repair everything that has been damaged by the earthquake.

“Our goal is to help kids get back in school as quickly as possible,” Stiller says of his initiative.

He adds that schools, for him, represent a safe haven for kids, especially in these times of crisis. Schools provide not only a place where children can learn but also a place where healthcare, nutrition and other important services can be conducted and given.

Through his start-up organization, stillerstrong.org, Stiller is partnering with the organization Architecture for Humanity in making sure that the constructions of these schools will not be delayed and will be done as soon as the Haitian government finalizes all of its relocation plans.

Already working in Haiti, even before the earthquake struck, Ben Stiller and Architecture for Humanity estimated that a temporary school would cost somewhere around $45,000-$75,000. Launching stillerstrong as a fun campaign in 2009, Ben Stiller has continued on his mission to rebuild hope for the children of Haiti.

For several weeks now, headlines from all over the world have mentioned, in one way or another, the devastation and tragedy that struck the country of Haiti. With thousands of people feared dead, buried in the rubble and thousands more literally left homeless by the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, people from all over the world have pledged help for the victims in Haiti.

Procter & Gamble, one of the world’s most recognized companies, has given the people of Haiti various contributions amounting to over $1 million dollars and counting. Several P&G executives, employees and even retirees have pledged to help and support Haitians in any way they can.

P&G products and cash have been donated to help aid not only the victims themselves, but also the other volunteers who are helping in Haiti.

In addition to all these, P&G has also provided 6 million packets of PUR, a technology the company offers to help purify water. This quantity is said to be enough to provide the victims with clean water for three months, a supply worth 60 million liters. PUR packets disinfect and purify water through a cloth filter. It removes dirt and other harmful substances in the water, making it safe to drink. P&G has been constantly supplying PUR packets to disaster-stricken countries, like the countries devastated during the Asian Tsunami in December 2004.

The Cincinnati-based company, known for its products such as Tide detergents, Pampers Diapers and Crest Toothpaste, said that their donations are ready whenever relief agencies need them.

P&G has partnered with several organizations in aiding the relief operations in Haiti. These include AmeriCares, Global Medic, CARE, PSI, Samaritan’s Purse, Pure Compassion Ministries and World Vision. It has also sent medical teams to Haiti to help care for the Haitians who got sick and injured in the January 2010 quake.

One of the world’s most beautiful volcanoes oozed lava last night, threatening to erupt over a tourist town in the Philippines.

Most of the 50,000 villagers living within 4-5 miles of the danger zone around Mount Mayon were evacuated earlier today. The red-hot volcano was spewing lava and ash that reached up to 100 meters high.

Renato Solidum, head ot the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said that the magma has been rising at the volcano for the past two weeks and that an explosion could be imminent. The institute has upgraded Mayon’s status to level three, meaning that it could erupt in the very near future.

Jukes Nunez, a local emergency official, said: “It’s ten days before Christmas. Most likely people will be in evacuation centres, and if Mayon’s activity won’t ease down we will not allow them to return to their homes. It’s difficult and sad, especially for children.”

Mount Mayon is considered one of the world’s most perfectly formed volcanoes because of its symmetrical cone. Most recently, Mount Mayon was active over a four-month period in 2006. At that time, 30,000 people were moved to safety zones. Mayon’s most violent eruption in 1814 killed more than 1,200 people.

Source: Times Online UK

Twenty additional pallets of desperately needed disaster supplies are being delivered by Feed The Children to tsunami survivors in American Samoa, the international, non-profit organization announced last week.

The items will arrive in Pago-Pago and will be distributed by Catholic Charities USA.

This latest shipment of food items will be shipped by The UPS Foundation through a relationship with U.S. based Feed The Children.

Earlier in October, Feed The Children shipped 53 pallets of much needed disaster relief supplies to American Samoa.

As the need rises, Feed The Children stands poised and ready to continue delivering relief supplies.

Cash donations to help in the relief effort can be made online at http://www.feedthechildren.org or sent to Feed The Children, P.O. Box 36, Oklahoma City, OK 73101.

Despite repeated calls from the international community to reinstate ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya, coup leaders have remained defiant, even announcing its withdrawal from the Organization of American States (OAS).

The June 28 Honduras coup which ousted President Manual Zelaya triggered international condemnation. The United Nations have called upon the OAS to “take a leadership role to find the peaceful solution to that issue whereby the constitutional order can be restored.”

In the United States, there are mixed reactions from observers and political analysts, some insisting that the U.S. support the coup while some hinting that the U.S. is playing neutral and has no serious intention of resolving the impasse.

Honduras military officials responsible for the coup claims it based its actions on a Supreme Court ruling nullifying Zelaya’s plans for an extended term through constitutional change.

Roberto Micheletti, the speaker of Congress, replaced him as interim President.

John Thomson of the National Review Online insists that the U.S. should support the coup, arguing that Zelaya’s comeback would only be a victory for Hugo Chavez, whom the deposed leader supports. Thomson views the Honduran crisis as “a battle between democracy and leftist autocrats who have manipulated themselves into permanent power in their countries and want to add Honduras to the list.”

Barry Grey and Rafael Azul of Global Research claim that the U.S. is taking a neutral position on Honduras despite its public condemnation of the coup. They opined that after an unsuccessful attempt to back attempts to unseat Chavez several years back, the U.S. could not publicly support the coup, but it was well aware of it. It also observed that the official US line post the coup was that “it attempted unsuccessfully to convince the Honduran military not to proceed with the coup, amounting to a tacit acknowledgment that Washington was well aware of the coup plans.”

Presently, the Honduras crisis is at a stalemate.

A Reuters report released on Feb. 17, 2009 indicates that Ford Motor Company has come into agreement with the United Auto Workers to diminish its labor costs on a par with Japanese competitors. Although the terms of the agreement remain to be undisclosed until the VEBA discussions have been concluded, Ford Motor Company revealed that the deal would include adjustments in its operating practices, benefits, and labor costs. Additionally, the agreement covers 42,000 employees from Ford Motor Company and members must ratify it.

This is another aspect of helping Ford Motor Company survive in the absence of government loans. In December 2008, the United Auto Workers settled on suspending the job banks program as their way to help U.S. auto manufacturers in the midst of their crisis.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive manufacturing company that offers a wide range of vehicles from cars and trucks to SUVs and crossovers as well as vehicle services. Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company, which was incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company pioneered the use of moving assembly lines demonstrating efficient manufacturing sequences for the large-scale manufacture of cars and for the comprehensive management of an industrial workforce. With its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford Motor Company has now become the fourth largest automaker in the world based on global vehicle sales in 2007, producing 6.553 million automobiles and employing 245,000 people at approximately 100 plants and facilities around the world. Aside from the Ford brand, Ford Motor Company also carries the Mercury and Lincoln brands in the United States. Additionally, Ford Motor Company owns Swedish car manufacturer Volvo Cars and it also has a small stake in British luxury sports car manufacturer Aston Martin and Japanese automaker Mazda.

About the United Auto Workers
The United Auto Workers (UAW), also known as the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is a labor union representing workers in Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Based in Detroit, Michigan, the United Auto Workers was founded in May 1935 to represent workers in the automobile manufacturing sector.

Today, United Auto Workers has become one of the biggest and most diverse unions in North America with over 800 local unions, around 513,000 active members and over 575,000 retired members coming from a wide range of sectors including colleges, universities, hospitals, small companies, private non-profit organizations, multinational companies, and state and local governments. The union works to continually develop good partnerships with employers as well as negotiate “industry-leading” benefits and wages for its members. The United Auto Workers presently has 3,100 contracts with 2,000 employers in Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States.

Ford and the UAW in the News:
UAW leaders recommend approval of Chrysler deal.

UAW gears up to join boards of the carmakers

2010 Fusion Hybrid goes 1,445 miles on single tank

On June 21, 2009, the Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as the 67th United States Secretary of State. It was the first day in office for President Barack Obama and while he was busy engaging himself in several affairs, Hillary Clinton’s nomination for the post as Secretary of State was finally confirmed in the full Senate by a vote of 94-2.

The two senators who opposed the confirmation were Republicans David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Prior to the confirmation, hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee commenced on January 13, 2009. By January 15, the said body voted 16-1 to approve Hillary Clinton.

Both Republicans and Democrats in general share the same sentiment that such prompt confirmation was essential for the new president to be able to start with his work in dealing with the current major and critical foreign policy issues such as Iran’s nuclear threats and the increasing violence in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Gaza and Iraq.

As a result of the confirmation from the Senate, Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State in her office, which is located in the Russell Senate Office Building. Present at the private ceremony was her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her Senate staff. On the same day, Hillary Clinton resigned from the Senate, submitting her resignation letters to Vice President Joe Biden, president of the Senate; and New York Governor David Paterson.

A few Republicans expressed their concerns over conflicts of interest that may arise considering that the fundraising efforts for Bill Clinton’s foundation included donations overseas. Nevertheless, both parties in Congress greatly supported Hillary Clinton for the post.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Maine East High School and then entered Wellesley College from where she graduated in 1969 with a B.A. degree in political science with departmental honors. Hillary Clinton then obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1973. Back in Yale, she served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Review and Social Action, worked for the Yale Child Study Center, interned with Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975.

Following graduation, Hillary Clinton practiced law, working as a staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as Consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children. She also joined in the impeachment inquiry staff advising the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal. In 1975, she taught at the University of Arkansas Law School and then joined the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. She held the title “First Lady of Arkansas” for twelve years (1979–1981, 1983–1992) when her husband Bill Clinton became governor of the said state twice. Hillary Clinton was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001; she then served as a U.S. Senator from 2001 to 2009. Hillary Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 election but lost to Obama.

• Official State Department biography of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.
• Secretrary Hillary Clinton faces a tough job in securing Mideast peace process.
• Hillary Clinton criticizes George W. Bush on North Korea policy.

On Feb. 19, 2009, UNESCO released the online version of its Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, identifying some 2,500 endangered languages from around the world. The paper version of the atlas’ 2009 edition to be launched in May was funded by Norway, engaging a group of more than 30 linguists.

UNESCO has revealed around 2,500 languages in danger of extinction out of a total of 6,900 languages that are being used today. This sends out an alarming call to societies considering that the last atlas compiled back in 2001 listed 900 languages in danger of extinction.

Based on the degrees of endangerment designated by UNESCO, there are 538 languages that are critically endangered, 502 are severely endangered, and 632 are definitely endangered while 607 are unsafe.

Meanwhile, a significant number of languages have already journeyed down the road to extinction. In fact, over 200 languages have gone extinct over the last three generations. The Ubykh in Turkey has already been wiped out. Aasax in Tanzania has disappeared by now. The same can be said of Tefvic Esenc, the Alaskan native language Eyak, and Manx in the Isle of Man.

There are 199 languages in the world spoken by less than 10-12 people. The Indonesian language Lengilu now only has four speakers who remain alive while only six people use Karaim in Ukraine. There is now only one living native speaker of the Latvian language Livonian.

According to Christopher Moseley, Australian linguist and editor of the Atlas’ 3rd edition, the endangerment of language is a universal phenomenon. Linguists also said that an endangered language is not necessarily restricted to small or remote countries. India holds the most number of endangered languages with 196. United States is next with 192, followed by Indonesia with 147. Moreover, UNESCO predicted that languages in the Sub-Saharan Africa would reduce by at least 10% over the coming century.

In the United States, Wichita has merely 10 speakers in Oklahoma while no more than 35 people in northeast Wisconsin speak Menomonee. Gros Ventre of north-central Montana has fewer than 10 speakers and all of them are elderly with no one fully fluent.

For this reason, the UNESCO’s Endangered Languages Programme seeks to stimulate cooperation among countries so they can take heed of this disturbing situation. It also seeks to foster solutions from authorities, experts, and communities for the preservation of these languages.

UNESCO deputy director Francoise Riviere stressed the need for people to be proud of speaking their language in order for it to thrive. Efforts have been made by some societies to revive their languages. Cornish, for instance, is now being revived in Cornwall, southern England. Livonian in Latvia, Sishee in New Caledonia, and Hebrew are also being revived.

Related Sources:

UNESCO lists the degrees of endangerment categorized based on language
transmission.

UNESCO provides an interactive atlas of the world’s languages in danger
wherein users may search according to certain parameters.

UNESCO features an article on safeguarding languages in peril.

An article from BBC News, released on Feb. 19, 2009, talks about Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu expressing his positions on relevant topics including Barack Obama’s presidential victory, the risk of wasting the goodwill Obama’s election has generated, his call for the United States to reach out to other nations, and Britain’s role in the “war on terror.”

Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu recounted his jubilance over the presidential victory of Barack Obama, referring to Obama’s election as an “epoch making event” that gave the world hope that change may be at hand. The archbishop said that he wanted to “dance and jump and shout” after watching the U.S. election results that came in. Nevertheless, he cautioned the new president of possibly dissipating the goodwill the presidential election has brought forth. Additionally, Archbishop Desmond Tutu encouraged Obama to be tough on African dictators and urged the U.S. president, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to renew ties with other countries and listen to them.

Moreover, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it would be wonderful if President Barack Obama apologized, on behalf of the American people, for the Iraq invasion led by the United States. The South African activist further noted that Britain’s cooperation with the United States in the “war on terror” has definitely injured Britain’s status in the world. Even so, he commended the British Council’s endeavor of helping Nelson Mandela’s government with the reformation of the post-apartheid diplomatic service and the training of black teachers.

About Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who gained worldwide attention for his remarkable efforts in opposing the apartheid during the 1980s, which led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

He was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal, South Africa in 1931. In 1960, he was ordained as an Anglican priest. Following his theological studies, his teaching stint and his theological work in South Africa, Desmond Tutu became Bishop of Lesotho and then went on to become the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 to 1985. He soon became Bishop of Johannesburg and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996.

As a peace advocate, Desmond Tutu has served as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; patron of the World Campaign Against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa Beacon Millennium and Action from Ireland; and patron of American Harmony Child Foundation, among others. He currently serves as Chairman of The Elders. In addition, Desmond Tutu founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation with an aim to seek funding for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre located in Cape Town; and the Desmond Tutu Foundation USA, to collaborate with universities nationwide in creating leadership academies.

Related Sources:

- Visit the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation website and learn more about its
programs and the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.

- BBC News features an article on Archbishop Desmond Tutu condemning the
Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

- Nobelprize.org features an interview of Desmond Tutu as he discusses about
leadership.

The Los Angeles Times’ Top of the Ticket for Nov. 21, 2008 reports that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has finally decided to accept President-elect Barack Obama’s offer as the United States Secretary of State.

Reports revealed that the senator is giving up her Senate seat in order to prepare for her new role as the country’s top diplomat. Talks between the former first lady and the president-elect have been progressing steadily since Hillary Clinton was first asked to fill in the position in mid-November.

When the Obama administration takes over the White House, Hillary Clinton will become only the 3rd woman in U.S. history to serve as Secretary of State, after Madeleine Albright and Condoleeza Rice.

View the article about Hillary Clinton added to Obama’s Cabinet at Secretary of State.

About Hillary Clinton

The former first lady was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an active student at Maine East High School where she was selected for the National Honor Society. She finished her senior year in high school at Maine South High School as a National Merit Finalist. Hillary completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1969 at Wellesley College with departmental honors in political science. She received her law degree from Yale Law School in 1973.

Before marrying William “Bill” Clinton in 1975, Hillary Clinton worked as staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts; as consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children; as an advisor to the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal; and taught at University of Arkansas’ School of Law where Clinton was also a faculty member.

Prior to becoming first lady of Arkansas, Hillary joined the Rose Law Firm and specialized in patent infringement, intellectual property law, and pro bono in child advocacy.

When Bill Clinton won as Governor of Arkansas in 1978, Hillary became Arkansas’ First Lady. She actively supported her husband via various committees and projects. She took on the same role when Clinton was re-elected in 1982.

Hillary Clinton was the 1st First Lady to have a post-graduate degree when Clinton took on the presidency in 1993. She has been a senator of the United States since 2001. Hillary Clinton ran for the office of United States President in 2008.

In The Australian’s November 11, 2008 issue, it was revealed that United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was included in Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year” list. Condoleezza Rice was cited for her dedication to women’s issues especially those related to the country’s foreign policy.

Other high profile personalities who made it to the celebrity and fashion magazine’s list of 10 include actress Nicole Kidman, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Chanel’s Maureen Chiquet. A 10-year old Yemeni girl who broke tribal rules by getting a divorce was also included in the list.

The awards were handed out to the 10 lucky women last November 11, 2008.

Glamour magazine has included the list in its December 2008 issue.

Conoleezza Rice is one of Glamour’s Women of the Year.

About Condoleezza Rice:

Condoleezza Rice, the 66th United States Secretary of State, made history as she became the 1st black woman and only the 2nd woman to hold the prestigious position.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Rice was an early learner as she began studying French, ballet, music, and figure skating at the age of three. She initially set her sights on becoming a concert pianist but eventually graduated at the age of 19 from the University of Denver with a B.A. in political science.

Condoleezza Rice first practiced her skills in political science when she worked in the State Department during the Carter administration. She then received her PhD in political science from Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the age of 26. Condoleezza Rice eventually moved on to higher, more significant positions.

Prior to becoming the U.S. Secretary of State, Rice was the Special Assistant to the Director of the Chiefs of Staff in 1986; Condoleezza Rice then served in President George H.W. Bush’s administration’s National Security Council where she became Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. From 2001 to 2005, Condoleezza Rice served as the National Security Advisor and left her teaching post (political science) at Stanford which she assumed in 1991. She was the first woman to occupy the position.

Condoleezza Rice became only the 2nd woman Secretary of State (after Madeleine Albright) in January 2005.

In the Nov. 24, 2008 issue of FoxNews.com, a transcript from the show America’s News HQ revealed several vital facts about what Geraldine Ferraro, 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has to say about President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton.

In the interview, Geraldine Ferraro expressed confidence that the former first lady will do well as the country’s top diplomat. Geraldine Ferraro believes that Hillary’s international credibility will help improve the country’s image. She also stressed that the Clintons are well-respected and so therefore, Hillary’s new assignment will do the country a lot of good.

Having worked with Hillary in her 2008 bid for presidency, Geraldine Ferraro is confident that Hillary will function well in the international community.

It is also important, she pointed out, that the new president and Hillary are able to agree on practically every issue.

The former vice presidential nominee also stressed that the main reason for choosing several key Clinton administration people for the Obama team is vast experience and nothing else. She likewise revealed that there are also a number of people with no Clinton ties who were chosen based on their performance and experience.

View the interview with Geraldine Ferraro from Fox News.

Geraldine Ferraro:

Born in Newburg, New York, Geraldine Ferraro went to Marymount Manhattan College on a scholarship and worked 2 or 3 jobs while studying. She took home her Bachelor of Arts in English in 1956 and became a licensed teacher. After working as an elementary school teacher, Ferraro studied law and eventually earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1960 from Fordham University.

Geraldine Ferraro got her big break when she became Queen County’s Assistant District Attorney and was tasked to head the Special Victims Bureau in 1977.

Prior to being nominated as Walter Mondale’s vice president for the 1984 Presidential Elections, Geraldine Ferraro was a member of the House of Representatives and represented New York’s 9th District.

During President Bill Clinton’s term, Geraldine Ferraro served as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. She held this position from 1994 to 1996.

Geraldine Ferraro was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. She helped found the National Organization of Italian American Women in 1980.