MIAMI — Seven lucky District 12 students will start college in the fall with some financial assistance, thanks to Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz. On June 30 at his district office, the commissioner congratulated students selected as recipients of his annual scholarship opportunity, and awarded each a $1,000 check to be used for tuition, books, a computer, or anything school-related.
In order to qualify, students had to attend a high school in District 12, be accepted to a public university in the state of Florida and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. In addition, each applicant submitted an essay based on the topic, “What public service means to me.”
“Unfortunately, the cost of tuition at our public universities continues to increase, making it more difficult for families to afford higher education for their children,” said Commissioner Diaz. “This scholarship will give students a good financial head start as they begin their freshman year. I wish them all the best of luck and know they will be successful in their future endeavors.”
This year’s winners are:
• Jacquelin Molina from Mater Academy Charter School will attend Florida State University and major in Psychology.
• Claudia Rivero from Mater Academy Charter School will attend Florida State University and major in Biological Sciences.
• Nicole Acevedo from Ronald Reagan Doral Senior High will attend Florida International University and major in Broadcast Journalism & Telecommunications.
• Naffy Castaneda from Mater Academy Lakes High School will attend Florida International University and major in International Relations.
• Yannel Celestrin from Hialeah Gardens High School will attend Miami-Dade College and major in Psychology.
• Nathaly Olivari from Mater Academy Lakes High School will attend University of Florida and major in Finance.
• Ricardo Fraga from Belen Jesuit Preparatory will attend the University of Miami and major in Business and Administration.
Photo by: Ryan Holloway/Miami-Dade County
FINANCIAL HEAD START: Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz gives a scholarship check to Naffy Castaneda.
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