As the school year winds down across Miami-Dade County, 40 students from South Dade’s farmworker community were honored for their academic excellence on May 9th.
31 scholars were honored at the Mexican American Council Farmworker Student Recognition Ceremony.
Homestead’s Mexican American Council (MAC) celebrated 31 area high schoolers and nine college graduates for their outstanding achievements in the College and Career Prep Program during their annual Farmworker Student Recognition Ceremony, held at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus.
As part of their awards – on behalf of Ocean Reef Community Foundation and UnidosUs – celebrants received cash awards, scholarships, and new laptops; all in all, total cost of awards was over $180,000. A key yearly community event, the Farmworker Student Recognition Ceremony started in 1984 as a way to spotlight student’s scholastic success among farmworker youth, and thus helping to reduce the dropout rate over the last 40 years.
MAC CEO, Edward C. Garza, applauded the student’s dedication during the celebration. “We are humbled and honored to celebrate 40 years of academic success of Miami-Dade County’s farmworker youth,” said Garza. “These students represent the American Dream.” Garza also addressed the importance of their accomplishments. “Their hardwork and education will not only break the cycle of poverty, but will also set a new standard for youth across our community and for generations to come,” Garza said. “I am so proud of them and look forward to seeing where their bright futures take them.”
Edward C. Garza, Iris Cedillo, Emily Garcia, Arlene Hernandez, Melody Lozano, Jaqueline Mancilla, Ada Moralez, Luz Villanueva, Christopher Bernabe.
Other keynote speakers such as Kim Miller, Vice President of Community Affairs for the Miami Dolphins; Javier Perez, former MDCPS Administrator and motivational speaker; Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava offered encouragement and congratulations, along with past scholarship recipients.
With a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida, graduate Christopher Bernabe noted his appreciation for the event, organization, and his family. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank MAC, my mom, and dad for all the support they’ve given us,” said Bernabe. “This is the reason why me and my brother (Jonathan Bernabe, South Dade Senior High School graduate) are here today. We’ll continue making them proud. Thank you!”
Esmeralda Arroyo – mother of another South Dade Senior High School graduate, David Velasquez – also expressed her gratitude. “I want to thank MAC, the Garza family, and the MAC staff. Thanks to them, my two daughters and son were able to graduate, and we are incredibly grateful,” said Arroyo. A member of MAC’s Homestead-Miami Mariachi Conservatory as well, her son will also be pursuing Electrical Engineering at Miami Dade College.
Cristian Garcia and Salvador Gutierrez.
The Mexican American Council is a local non-profit seeking to make sure every farmworker child has access to quality education, the arts, and technology to ensure a brighter future in South Florida; visit their website at www.mexamcouncil.org.
