x : ▁St . ▁An sel m ▁Element ary ▁School ▁and ▁Card inal ▁Sp ell man ▁High ▁School . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁student , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Asp ira ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Vice ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁city wide ▁Asp ira ▁Club s ▁Federation ▁( AC F ), ▁which ▁included ▁other ▁future ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁leaders ▁like ▁Nin fa ▁Seg ar ra ▁and ▁Ang elo ▁Fal c ón . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁as ▁an ▁Asp ir ante , ▁he ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁major ▁student ▁protest ▁at ▁the ▁NY C ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁such ▁re forms ▁as ▁b iling ual ▁report ▁cards ▁and ▁the ▁recognition ▁by ▁the ▁public ▁schools ▁of ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁Disc overy ▁Day ▁( Nov ember ▁ 1 9 ). ▁His ▁family ▁have ▁Catal an ▁orig ins . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁got ▁involved ▁in ▁community ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁student . ▁Fer rer ▁entered ▁politics , ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Council ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 2 . ▁ ▁Remember ing ▁how ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁translate ▁for ▁his ▁grand m other ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁hospital ized , ▁he ▁author ed ▁legisl ation ▁requiring ▁interpre ters ▁in ▁city ▁emer gency ▁rooms . ▁Fer rer ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁chair ▁the ▁Health ▁Committee , ▁fight ▁for ▁anti - dis c rim ination ▁laws ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁g ays ▁and ▁les bi ans , ▁and