Shakira is presently a highly demanded artist in the Hispanic music scene. She holds considerable sway over political figures as well as leading businesspeople. Additionally, she fearlessly defends her daring music videos.
My last interaction with Shakira involved a situation where she unintentionally ditched a group of prominent individuals, including a big-city mayor, a former First Lady, a First Daughter, and a former President back in 2010. We were in New York City then, and she was supposed to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting during a plenary session titled “Harnessing Human Potential.” However, due to her hectic schedule at the time, she couldn’t attend. In addition to her obligations at the annual meeting, she had a performance scheduled on The David Letterman Show with James Franco, a tour to rehearse for, and a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden to prepare for. Even with all these tasks, she managed to write her speech throughout the night, staying up until 8:30 am to finish it. Unfortunately, all these exertions took a toll on her, making her feel unwell and forcing her to withdraw from the seminar.
Shakira’s recent attendance at yet another Presidential summit is not surprising. In a quick meeting with the President of Columbia, Juan Manuel Santos, the singer announced a $25 million fund to support early childhood education in their homeland of South America. Despite the passing of four years, Shakira’s influence in politics remains apparent.
Last year, at the Summit of the Americas held in Colombia, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting with Presidents Santos and Obama. We held a discussion on the crucial role of investing in education, during which we each gave a speech. I am proud to lend my support to President Obama’s efforts in promoting early childhood education. As a commissioner, I offer guidance to his administration in their pursuit of educational excellence for the Hispanic community in the United States. Our primary objective is to enhance the quality of education for Hispanics and achieve educational excellence. I deeply admire President Obama’s unwavering commitment to education and his emphasis on early childhood development strategies. It is truly remarkable to see how he prioritizes education in his political agenda, something that is still quite rare among leaders around the world.
