Senior Psychology major, Lillian Garvin, has been nominated for the Community Service
award, "It's a great feeling to be recognized for doing good work. Hopefully this will encourage others to become engaged in the community and volunteer their time in helping out!"
Meet the nominees for this year’s Outstanding Student Life Awards
Senior Cesar Villa-Garcia, Computer Science major, has been nominated for Outstanding Leader Award (Senior), “It is a great honor to be nominated for the Outstanding Leader Award. During my time at FIU, it has been my goal to not only excel academically but to also make a difference in my community. As President of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society, I have led multiple programs and activities that aim to educate students about computer science. This includes information sessions from top companies, technical workshops on different technologies, and outreach programs to spread coding to grade schools. It has been a very rewarding experience to work with students, faculty, and staff to make this a reality.”
Environmental Sciences major and 2nd Year Graduate Student Masters of Science, David Riera has been nominated for the Outstanding Leadership/Service Award, “This awesome, I can not express my gratitude enough through words. But I will borrow Henry David Thoreau’s words…
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
My life has not and I believe it will not get any easier… So I have to walk and think harder, to become faster, stronger, wiser…Not for me but for those that I serve and will continue to serve…my family, my friends, my students, fellow veteran, and my community.
It is a great honor and absolutely a great way to start the challenges of doctoral studies in the College of Education.”
Maria Sol Echarren, Doctoral student, has been nominated for the
Outstanding Service Award, “I am deeply grateful to have been nominated, and especially feel that it is an honor to give back to FIU by reaching out to other students and the community. The experienced I have had while serving in different student organizations over the last couple years have shaped me and provided new opportunities not only for me to grow personally and professionally, but also lead others to grow.”
Fidel Urbina, senior Hospitality Management major has been nominated for Outstanding Leadership Award (Senior), “I’m honored to be nominated. Being an FIU Panther has always been a goal of mine. When I applied as a transfer student, I told myself that if I got accepted I would give back to the institution as much as I could.
I have been involved in philanthropy and Greek life all while sharing my enthusiasm of panther pride to incoming students. With that being said, I believe that my personal goal of giving back has been achieved. I am eternally grateful to FIU because it has provided me with the tools I need to succeed in life. I have already seen the reflection of my preparation when I landed an internship at a Fortune 500 company. My experience at FIU has molded me to the person I have always wanted to be personally and professionally.
To my involvements, to my past advisors, to the students I’ve met and to FIU, I say thank you.”
“I feel excited, honored and grateful to be nominated for the student life award. Being recognized is definitely a great motivation to continue the efforts and strive to conquer new summits,” said Homa Fartash, Civil Engineering major and PhD. Candidate. She has been nominated for the Scholar award.
Social Work major 3rd year doctoral student, Sofia B. Fernandez has been nominated for the Student Leadership award, “I feel honored to be recognized by my colleagues and supervisors as a leader. I am also humbled by the experiences and opportunities that have made me eligible for this recognition as well as the mentors who have taken risks on me which have made it possible for me to lead other students and individuals in our university and community.”
James Stroud, 5th year PhD candidate, nominated for Scholar Award, “It was incredibly humbling to be nominated for the Scholar Award. The sense of pride and accomplishment in someone recognizing the scholarly results from years of hard work at FIU is extremely emotional and gratifying.”
Senior Political Science and International Relations dual major, John Ukenye has been nominated for Senior Leader of the Year Award, “My entire academic and collegiate leadership career, I have been motivated to do more for my univerisity and surrounding community community by seeing the actions of others around me. This nomination is not only a humbling honor, but also an opportunity for me to inspire the next generation of leaders to reach even higher. If I can inspire at least one person to “out-do” my accomplishments, I have achieved my undergraduate goal.”
“I am really excited to be nominated! I hope that this serves as an example to other student and that it inspire them to better themselves by getting comfortable with the uncomfortable,” said
Andrea Saladrigas, senior Marketing major with a certificate in Sales and CRM, that has been nominated for the Leadership award.
Katherine Tarre, first year grad student and Statistics major has been nominated for the Outstanding Leadership Award, “It was a surprise to be nominated, I think this will be a wonderful opportunity to represent my Department, Organization, and Lab.”
Senior Psychology major, Lillian Garvin, has been nominated for the Community Service
award, “It’s a great feeling to be recognized for doing good work. Hopefully this will encourage others to become engaged in the community and volunteer their time in helping out!”
Luis Valderrama is a senior biology major with a chemistry minor that has been nominated for the Student Outstanding Service Award, “To be honest I was in shock that I was nominated. Although I do commit a lot of time to community service and my organization, Tri-Beta, at school it’s always an honor to be recognized for something you do. Just with being nominated I know my hard work has paid off and can’t wait to continue to be an example for students at FIU. I would like to thank my mentor Rocio Benabentos from the STEM institute for nominating me and being such an awesome person to aspire to. “
“It was surprising to be nominated because when I decided to get involved I just wanted to learn more about FIU and help others so I didn’t expect to get any rewards from it,” said freshman Computer Science major, Mia Gabb, about her nomination for the Freshman of the Year Award.
Amor Alashi, senior Biology and Chemistry major, has been nominated for the Scholar Award and Kaplan Prize, “As a transfer student, I felt very devastated that I had to leave my country and continue school somewhere where I though I would have to be alone. That idea was terrifying me, except it was not true as a panther. FIU was able to demonstrate what a second home truly means. When you walk on campus and you can see many people willing to help students with potential, you never feel alone.
Ever since transferring and FIU is supporting me through curricular and extracurricular activities. Now where I am standing and everything I have accomplished so far as a future pediatric cardiologist surgeon of shadowing, research, volunteering, tutoring, and leadership for or on behalf of our panther community is thanks to FIU and FIU Honors College. Thus, to be nominated makes me feel once again as a very proud panther where my hard work and achievements are being recognized and appreciated. I will continue to strive to left up FIU’s name wherever I go and continue to be a proud panther.”
Sophomore Nursing major, Carolina De Almagro, has been nominated for a Student Life Award, “I feel extremely grateful to be nominated for this award. I am a proud Panther and as such enjoy representing the FIU community throughout my various leadership roles. I feel blessed to be part of a University that provides its students with a vast range of opportunities to develop themselves as leaders not only within the FIU community, but throughout the community as a whole. It is always humbling to be recognized alongside other inspiring students who motivate you to strive to be better.”
“Now that I have been nominated for these awards, I feel that all my efforts during my PhD studies has been paid off. I get totally fulfilled when my adviser see the potential in me and nominate me for such prestigious awards. I feel proud as a woman coming from a country in which women are not empowered as much as men, being valued by these nominations. It means the world to me!” said Samantha Khazraeian, Civil Engineering (Transportation) major in the last year of her PhD, of her nomination for the scholar and leadership awards.
Leonardo Cosio, junior Broadcast Media major, has been nominated Student Life Award, “I enjoy being involved and I really don’t expect to receive recognition for most of the things I do so I was surprised to be nominated to say the least. I want to thank my fellow Student Government council members and my advisor, Larissa Adames.”
