Adrian Cardenas
Education
BA '15, Humanities, New York University
<p>Adrian Cardenas, born and raised in Miami, Florida, is a Cuban-American writer and director and former Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. His articles exploring the intersection of sports and art, and about his Cuban family’s story, have been published by the New Yorker and CNN. His work has screened at festivals around the world, including SXSW, Tribeca, Palm Springs, New Orleans, Miami, LALIFF, among others. </p>
<p>His debut feature, In an Orderly Fashion, is based on his award-winning short of the same name, was one of five finalists for the 2024 Tribeca/AT&T Untold Stories program, and selected for the 2024 Gotham Project Market Slate. Adrian graduated Summa Cum Laude from NYU with undergraduate degrees in creative writing and philosophy, and then later received his MFA in film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He’s currently an adjunct professor in screenwriting at the University of Miami.</p>
When I was eighteen, in 2006, I decided to bypass college to play baseball professionally. Even though I was fulfilling a childhood dream, I realized over time that I no longer loved the game the way I did when I was a kid. In 2010, SPS allowed me to apply mid-season and start school that fall. And the following spring, when it was time to return to baseball, I was allowed to enroll in an in-person class. SPS understood that most of their students had careers, and if these already busy professionals wanted to add the rigors of academia to their lives, then they must be very motivated. Thank you SPS for fostering my deep desire to learn and grow. I’m forever grateful."
