5 under 35

The FIU Alumni Association earlier this year announced its inaugural class of “5 under 35.” Nominated by their peers and selected by a university-wide committee from a pool of more than 200 submissions, these honorees represent younger graduates who are attracting attention for their service and expertise.

“Our goal as an Alumni Association is to engage Panthers with their alma mater and recognize them for their accomplishments beyond FIU,” says Sara DuCuennois, recently named chief alumni officer. “Our Young Alumni Network’s 5 Under 35 recognizes the most recent generation of FIU graduates who are already leaving their mark on the world and at FIU.”

ALEJANDRO ARIAS ’09
An attorney and partner at Holland & Knight, Arias focuses on land use and zoning matters. He is involved in numerous professional and community organizations, among them Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida, for which he sits on the board of directors. In 2021, he was recognized by Holland & Knight with the “Pro Bono All-Star” designation.

JOHNATHAN CYPRIEN ’12
Cyprien is a strong safety in the NFL, currently a free agent. Following a prodigious career as an FIU student-athlete, he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cyprien remains involved in the South Florida community through efforts that benefit at-risk youth, and he co-founded an organization to provide FIU student-athletes with resources and support to be successful during and beyond college.

ANDREA HEADLEY MS ’15, PH.D. ’18
Headley is an assistant professor at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy and a visiting scholar of Race, Policing and Crime at the National Police Foundation. Her research examines ways to create a more effective and equitable criminal justice system and has been widely shared through journals, conferences and media outlets such as ABC, CBS and PBS.

HECTOR MUJICA ’11
Mujica leads the $100 million economic opportunity portfolio of Google’s charitable arm, which offers grants and technical expertise to underserved communities as well as a “career accelerator” that helps a wide swath of people — including those from rural areas and those without high school diplomas — attain skills through training, coaching and mentoring for well-paying jobs in the fast-growing digital economy.

ETINOSA OGHOGHO PH.D. ’20
Nigerian-born Oghogho holds a doctorate in public health from FIU with research experience at the World Health Organization in Geneva, making her a passionate advocate for reducing health disparities among underserved populations, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health. She is involved in humanitarian and global health outreach efforts in the United States, Haiti and Nigeria and works as a user experience researcher at Amazon.