Class of 2030: Raising the bar on excellence

The Class of 2030 has arrived at FIU in Panther style. More than 5,400 students began their journey in college for the first time at FIU this summer and fall. The freshmen are already standing out for their academic prowess, drive for success and dedication to community. 

Eighty-eight percent of students have a GPA above a 3.75. Students starting in the fall boast an average GPA of 4.32 and an average SAT score of 1296. Among these Panthers are National Merit Scholars; AP Scholars; Silver Knight Nominees; valedictorians; athletes; and community service leaders. These students come from 883 different high schools from across the country and the world. 

FIU received applications from all 50 states, and the majority of out-of-state freshmen who are starting at FIU this academic year hail from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas. 

Students from South Florida continue to view FIU as their top-choice university, says Jody Glassman, assistant vice president of Enrollment and University Admissions. Students from key local high schools - including Coral Reef High School, TERRA Environmental Research Institute and John A. Ferguson Senior High School - increased their enrollment to FIU this year. This shows that the university is establishing increasingly growing pipelines from some of Miami-Dade County's top high schools to FIU, says Glassman.

At the international level: freshmen represent 62 countries around the globe, ranging from Japan to Sweden to Brazil to Trinidad and Tobago to Canada. 

The most popular majors for the incoming students are psychology, biology, pre-health science, finance, mechanical engineering, political science and accounting. 

"The Class of 2030 is intelligent, motivated and eager to engage with their FIU education and the community," Glassman says. "Many of our freshmen are already looking for ways to get involved and jumpstart their careers at FIU. I'm impressed by their hunger to succeed and their desire to immerse themselves in all that FIU has to offer, whether that means learning from top-notch faculty, gaining hands-on experience through internships or getting involved and connecting with fellow Panthers through service groups and other student organizations. I know they are going to shine."

In other words, these Panthers are ready to roar.  

Meet just one of our newest Panthers today, and check in with FIU News throughout the week to meet a few more freshmen in the Class of 2030. 

Isabel Morejon 

Inquisitive. That’s one word Isabel Morejon uses to describe herself. Whether diving into chemistry or writing poetry, her curiosity has led her to excel.

She is a National Merit Scholar and a leader who graduated in the Top 10% of her class. She is also an AP Scholar with distinction, which recognizes high AP exam scores (she took 10 AP classes). She graduated with a 5.22 GPA from Miami Palmetto Senior High School.

She was a teacher’s aide for Calculus AB; the vice president of a Bible study group; and a member of the Science National Honor Society and Future Health Professionals (HOSA) chapter of her school. She participated in various regional and international HOSA competitions, which test students’ knowledge of healthcare and leadership skills.

At the urging of her AP literature teacher, Morejon wrote three poems for a local poetry contest held by the Barnacle Society. One of these poems was selected out of 400 submissions to be among the final 16 winners of the contest and the other two poems were selected among the final 48, which were displayed during a poetry event.

When it came time to choose a college, Morejon says FIU was her top choice. “In exploring FIU, I found a lot of research opportunities, great faculty, clubs…it made FIU a very attractive school.”

Morejon, who will begin this fall as a biochemistry major in the FIU Honors College, says the prospect of gaining research experience as an undergraduate is very exciting.

“When I heard how accessible research is at FIU, how many professors do research, and how many opportunities within and outside of the Honors College there are for students, I was sold. I want to get a taste of research, and FIU is the perfect place.”

One thing that makes the FIU journey even more rewarding: Morejon will be continuing a family legacy, as both of her older siblings are proud Panther students.  

Morejon chose to major in biochemistry because, as she puts it, “I’m a science-y, math person. I want to get into the medical field, and I think biochemistry works really well as the foundation for the things I’m interested in.”

“Understanding things on a smaller level,” she adds, “just helps you understand things on the bigger level.”

One of her favorite things about campus? The environment. “I really love all the green around campus,” she says. “It’s a walkable campus. I need to be in a natural environment to thrive, and FIU has that nature.”

She says she’s most excited about getting into the “groove” of her new adventure at FIU.

“Living everyday life is the special part,” she says. “Getting into the groove of the things you enjoy on campus, the people you become friends with, studying and having that hard work pay off…I'm really looking forward to it.”