Honors College graduate-turned-FIU-Law-student named 2025 Pérez Excellence Award recipient

Building community through service

Garcia’s began her high-e journey at Miami Dade College. There, she received two awards recognizing her hundreds of hours of community serivce. After transferring to FIU, she quickly established herself as a campus leader. When she realized there was no undergraduate pre-law organization for Honors College students, she founded one, which has since grown to nearly 200 members and published FIU’s first undergraduate law review journal under her leadership. 

Her service extended beyond student organizations. As a social media student assistant for the Honors College, she strengthened the college’s digital presence, highlighting student achievements and helping foster a sense of community. 

“Service has always been at the heart of what I do,” said Garcia. “I want my work to matter - not just for me, but for the people around me. 

Inspiration for law 

Garcia traces her passion for law back to her childhood, when political and legal debates were part of everyday life at home. 

With talk radio blaring in the family car during morning rides to school, her interest was piqued. "Those conversations really opened my eyes to the importance of law and policy, and they inspired me to dream of a future in the legal field,” says Garcia. 

That early inspiration was strengthened at FIU, where Garcia found support from mentors who believed in her potential even when she doubted herself. She points to FIU Law’s Interim Dean Michelle Mason, whose open-door policy gave her confidence during the most challenging moments of her academic journey. “She always told me, ‘I’m available to you no matter how busy I am, and I know you’re going to do amazing in law school.’ People like her made the experience for me, even when 99% of the time I felt like I wasn’t going to make it,”. 

She also credits Honors College Dean Juan Carlos Espinosa as a guiding influence who encouraged her to push forward with her goals. His leadership and support reinforced for her that FIU was a place where ambitious students could thrive while making a meaningful impact on their communities. 

Looking to the future 

Now, as she begins her law school career, Garcia hopes to explore opportunities in corporate law or the private sector, while remaining open to future service in government. 

She also intentionally plans to give back to FIU in the future. “I would love to create an endowment to provide scholarships, just like the Pérez family has done,” she said. “And I want to serve on the FIU Honors College Dean’s Advisory Board to stay connected to the college and help the future honors students.” 

About the Pérez Scholars Endowment 

Jorge M. Pérez, CEO of The Related Group, and his wife, Darlene Boytell-Pérez, have long supported FIU. In 2013, the couple donated a collection of Cuban art valued at more than $315,000 to FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs and the Frost Art Museum. The donation included a gift of $250,000 in support of the Cuban Research Institute at FIU. The couple also donated $250,000 to the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, which was the largest individual gift in the history of the program. Additionally, Boytell-Pérez, a nurse practitioner and a two-time graduate of FIU, was named Alumna of the Year by the FIU Alumni Association in 2016 for her dedication to her alma mater.

The couple first established the Perez Scholars Endowment in 2018 with a $1 million gift to provide merit- and need-based scholarships to exceptional FIU Honors College students. Since 2019, 22 students have received multi-year $10,000 scholarships. 

This year, the couple committed an additional $1 million, fully integrating the endowment and ensuring permanent support for both the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Scholars Scholarship (for undergraduates) and the Pérez Excellence Award (for graduating Honors students). With this new gift, the endowment expands to permanently sustain both the Scholars Scholarship and the Excellence Award. 

“Jorge and Darlene Pérez have been great partners in FIU’s pursuit of excellence.” said FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez. “With this latest gift, they are demonstrating their commitment to our best and brightest Honors College students and providing the foundation for our students to become the next generation of leaders."  

The Pérez family’s support extends far beyond financial resources. They have built lasting relationships with all of their past award recipients, meeting with them annually and following along their career trajectories. 

For Garcia, receiving the award represents both opportunity and responsibility. 

“I’m grateful to the Pérez family and to FIU Honors for believing in me,” she said. “This award is helping me take the first step toward the career I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.”