Margarita Nolasco Santiago facts for kids

Margarita Nolasco Santiago is a politician from Puerto Rico. She has served as a senator and was once the mayor of Coamo. She has been a part of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2004.

Early Life and Education

Margarita Nolasco finished high school at Florencio Santiago High School in Coamo. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. She also received a master's degree from the State University of New York. Both of these degrees were in Education, with a focus on Mathematics. Later, she completed her Doctorate in Education from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Her doctorate focused on how school subjects are planned and taught.

Professional Career

After getting her bachelor's degree, Margarita Nolasco started working. She taught at Barranquitas High School, which is part of the Puerto Rico Department of Education. After earning her master's degree, she became a mathematics teacher at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in Barranquitas.

Just two years later, she was chosen to be the Coordinator of Academic Affairs at the same university. This meant she helped manage the school's study programs. Later, she moved to the Interamerican University of San Germán. There, she became the Director of the General Education Program. After that, she moved to the Ponce Campus of the university. At the Ponce Campus, she served as the Dean of Academic Affairs. This role meant she was a senior leader in charge of academic programs.

Margarita Nolasco also helped write two mathematics books. These books were published by McGraw-Hill, a well-known publishing company.

Political Career

Margarita Nolasco started her journey in politics in 1996. That year, she was elected as the Mayor of Coamo. She served in this important role for four years. In the 2000 elections, she ran for mayor again. However, she did not win that election.

In 2004, she was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico. She represented the District of Guayama. During this time, she became the Majority Whip for her political party. This role meant she helped make sure her party's members voted together. Later, she became the Majority Speaker. As Majority Speaker, she was a key leader for her party in the Senate. She also led the Commission of Superior Education, which focused on higher education matters.

For the 2008 general elections, Margarita Nolasco ran for Senator at-large. This means she ran to represent the entire island, not just one district. She won a spot in her party's primary elections. After winning, she was elected as a Senator. The President of the Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz, then appointed her as President pro tempore. This is a high-ranking position in the Senate.

Personal Life

Margarita Nolasco has one son, named Angel Miguel Cruz Nolasco. He was born in 1979. She is also a proud grandmother to three grandchildren. Their names are Clarymar, Angélica Cristina, and Angel Miguel.

See also

• Senate of Puerto Rico