9 3 4 , ▁Fer rer ▁Can ales ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Puerto ▁Rico . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁university ▁years ▁he ▁met ▁and ▁be fri ended ▁Dr . ▁Pedro ▁Alb iz u ▁Cam pos , ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁National ist ▁Party . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁active ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁pro - in dep end ence ▁movement . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Arts , ▁gradu ating ▁Mag na ▁C um ▁Lau de . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Can ales ▁earned ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Arts ▁with ▁his ▁th esis : ▁" En rique ▁José ▁Var ona ". ▁ ▁He ▁felt ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁philosoph ic ▁ideas ▁of ▁Var ona , ▁Eugen io ▁María ▁de ▁Host os ▁and ▁José ▁Martí . ▁ ▁Edu c ator ▁Fer rer ▁Can ales ▁taught ▁high ▁school ▁Spanish ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Hum ac ao ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁After ▁receiving ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree , ▁he ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁a ▁Spanish ▁professor ▁at ▁his ▁al ma ▁mater . ▁ ▁That ▁same ▁year ▁the ▁university ▁also ▁awarded ▁him ▁a ▁grant ▁to ▁study ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Latin ▁American ▁literature ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁York ▁he ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination ▁however , ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁keep ▁him ▁from ▁teaching ▁Spanish ▁at ▁Hunter ▁College . ▁