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"Buenos Dias! Come on in!"

Those words and an open door are the signature characteristics of FIU alumna Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's Miami office and the hallmarks of her political career. She arrived calm and smiling for this interview, having just dropped her daughters off at school. We suggest that the interview take place in her private office, but she sits down at the reception table in the lobby, facing the door.
"When I'm here, I like to be accessible to everyone," she explained. That type of accessibility is just one of the characteristics that has helped Ros-Lehtinen develop a solid base of loyal supporters. For someone who once thought she would never end up in politics, Ros-Lehtinen's supporters enabled her to achieve several political firsts. They elected her as the first Hispanic woman to the Florida state legislature in 1982, and in 1989 they helped her become the first Hispanic woman ever to be elected to Congress.
"Ileana is beloved by her constituents because she connects with them," said colleague Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. "She is concerned about the issues that matter most to them, and they appreciate that greatly."
Perhaps Ros-Lehtinen's popularity stems from her love of community and the formative experiences she has shared with so many South Floridians. Ros-Lehtinen's family fled from Cuba to the United States when she was seven years old, and at a tender age she learned about the rigors of life as a refugee. However, her early career interests focused on education rather than politics. "If you had asked me about my goals for the future when I was a high school senior, I would have answered that I could see myself in front of a classroom," she said. "I always wanted to be a teacher. My father was an education major before he switched to accounting and my aunt was a teacher in Cuba, so it was very much a family profession."
Ros-Lehtinen attended Miami-Dade Community College, then earned her bachelor's degree from FIU, majoring in education and minoring in English literature. She went on to earn her master's degree from the University (in education) in 1987.
After a stint as a student teacher at Miami Killian Senior High School, she became certified in elementary education and taught at local schools for several years. Then she decided to go out on her own.
"A little elementary school in Hialeah became available at that time, and I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to start my own business," she remembered. "I talked to my parents about it, and we started a family enterprise."
Ros-Lehtinen operated the private school for nearly nine years. During that time, she also volunteered to help her friend Demetrio Perez with his political campaign.
"I enjoyed the campaigning and developed a strong interest in politics," she said. "My first thought was to run for a seat on the Miami-Dade School Board because it seemed like a natural extension of my interests in education and politics.
"However, once I started doing research about how one goes about getting elected to public office - back then I didn't know anything about the process - and attending campaign training schools, I saw that it would be nearly impossible for me to get elected to the school board," she explained. "At that time, the elections were countywide. Also, I was a Republican and there weren't many Republicans (being elected to the school board at the time).
"But once I was bitten by the bug of politics, it wasn't difficult to switch my goal to the state legislative races."
In the early 1980s, Florida was in the process of changing over from multimember districts to single-member districts.
"That was a much smaller piece of the pie, and I felt it was manageable and winnable as a Republican."
It was. Ros-Lehtinen served four years in the Florida House of Representatives and three years as a state senator. In 1989, she became the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress, when she won a hotly contested special election to fill the vacancy left by Claude Pepper's death.
However, it wasn't always easy to open those doors.
"In the beginning, I had to run against the political establishment of the time, and it was vicious," she said. "It was part of the mentality of the `good old boy' network. But I knew that was what it was going to be like, so I did not let it get to me. I concentrated on my mission and my objectives, and I didn't worry about the rest of it. It's the same sort of opposition that anyone who doesn't fit the established culture would receive. But I think that perseverance counts. I think that when they finally realized how determined I was, they backed off.
"Today, that culture of hostility is not in evidence, and there are many more minorities and women in public office."
In fact, since Ros-Lehtinen's election to Congress, four other Hispanic women have been elected, and more are expected to win in the next go-round.
"Ileana has helped Hispanics immeasurably by being seen by her colleagues as an effective and personable legislator," Diaz-Balart said.
Much of that is due to the "grass roots" emphasis that has always been a part of her philosophy.
"I enjoy the people-to-people contact as much as the legislative part of my job," Ros-Lehtinen explained. "Many of the issues that I have become involved with have been brought to my attention by my constituents."
For example, the congresswoman is responsible for:

creating legislation that would offer a tax credit for employers who provide child care for their employees

expanding access to higher education by introducing and ensuring passage of the Florida Pre-Paid College Tuition Program, the College Saving Program and other tuition assistance plans

leading congressional efforts to obtain federal funding to clean up and revitalize the Miami River

launching the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act and other projects to assist senior citizens

organizing efforts to preserve Stiltsville, the unique Florida landmark community in Biscayne Bay, and place it on the National Register of Historic Places

She has also been involved in lobbying for funding for breast cancer and eye disease research, reducing crime, improving South Florida's economic climate and dozens of other issues.
She is also the first Hispanic woman to chair a congressional subcommittee, and is currently heading the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade in addition to serving on several others.
"I am dedicated to improving the quality of life in South Florida, for us and for our children. As a member of Congress I am able to tackle difficult issues and help spearhead positive solutions," she said. "However, education and the fight for a free Cuba are my original priorities and the issues that inspired me to go to Congress in the first place."
While many members of Congress move to Washington, Ros-Lehtinen is adamant about maintaining her South Florida home.
"This is my neighborhood and my community. This is where I grew up," she explained. "I don't want to lose touch with the people and issues that are closest to my heart. So I will fly home as often as I can, even if it's only for a day."
Debra Zimmerman, the congresswoman's administrative assistant and chief of her Miami office, said that when Ros-Lehtinen is in town "she never wastes a moment."
"She'll take her daughters to school early and sit with them in the classroom for a while, then come to the office and meet with people, then head out to a press conference or a blood drive. She always returns her calls, and she's never late for anything."
Zimmerman attributes the congresswoman's success in handling her diverse responsibilities to her family's caring and nurturing support.
"Their participation and support has helped make my political career possible," said Ros-Lehtinen, who refers to her father - her campaign manager - as "the Wizard of Oz."
"He's like the man behind the curtain, but unlike the movie, where they say `pay no attention to that man,' we do pay attention to my dad. He's very low key and likes to stay out of the public eye, but he's an integral part of every campaign. As a successful businessman, he knows how to set forth a plan, have an objective, carry out goals and have a winning strategy.
"My mom is also a wonderful organizer and a great people person. She's mapped out a lot of our door-to-door campaigns, and she's in charge of our volunteers. And my brother continues to run the family business, which makes it possible for the rest of us to do what we do."
The congresswoman also takes the time to nurture others, both on her staff and throughout the community.
"I always make an effort to speak to young people, especially young women, and encourage them to become involved in their communities," she said.
She makes a special effort to encourage FIU students and graduates to work toward leadership positions in the community. More than half of her staff are either alumni or current students.
"She encourages us to get our degrees, and she even gives us flex-time to attend classes," said Henry Pollack, one of Ros-Lehtinen's congressional aides.
"FIU has been a wonderful source of inspiration for me, and it has been great to talk about it in Congress," Ros-Lehtinen added. "In fact, we started a new alumni chapter up there (in D.C.)."
As for the future, Ros-Lehtinen's goal is to stay in Congress for as long as she can. "There's still so much to do," she said. "After 41 years, Cuba is still not free. My mission is not over, and if God gives me an opportunity and voters vote me back in, I'd like to remain."

Victoria Stuart is a local freelance writer.