FIU transfer students receive scholarships, a helping hand

The Miami-Dade Community Action Agency awarded FIU $400,000 to provide scholarships to 191 of the university’s neediest students so they may continue their education at FIU.

Scholarship recipients are students like Alwyn Rodriguez, a veteran who each day spends five hours commuting from Miami Beach to campus because he does not have a car and Salihah Kahn, who is trying to support her parents on a part-time Babies “R” Us salary while going to school with her sights on becoming a pharmacist.

“These students are at particular risk because they are dealing with so many other life demands,” said Vice President of Engagement Divina Grossman, who was a proponent of earmarking these $2,000 scholarships for transfer students. “Students in their situation rarely receive the amount of attention that traditional students get, and we are so grateful to the Miami-Dade Community Action Agency for helping these hardworking individuals continue their education.”

The MDCAA went even further in helping these students, holding an informational session about other kinds of assistance that may be available to them, including internships and career opportunities.

“The Miami-Dade Community Action Agency was extremely pleased to collaborate with Florida International University through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in order to offer scholarships to their students. This is an excellent example of the value of partnerships and giving back to the community through our most valuable resource, our students, as they purse their various careers,” said Julie B. Edwards, executive director of Miami-Dade’s Community Action Agency and an FIU alumna.