BankUnited iCare Scholarship targets students engaged in diversity

–By Ellen Forman for BizNews In the summer of 2020, BankUnited launched its iCARETM program. The mission of iCARETM, which stands for Inclusive Community of Advocacy, Respect and Equality, is to create a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace where individuals are valued for their talents, feel free to express themselves and are empowered to achieve their […]

Honors College students earn early acceptance to Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and mentorship on pre-med track

–By Brittany Torres Rivera for FIU News Every year, ambitious sophomores at FIU’s Honors College are given the distinctive opportunity of being considered for guaranteed admission at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM). In addition to securing an acceptance of admission, the HWCOM Early Assurance Program assists students throughout their premedical planning by helping to define […]

FIU partners with NBCUniversal to provide innovative training, workforce experience and mentorship to journalism students

FIU has been selected by NBCUniversal News Group to participate in NBCU Academy, a newly launched, innovative, multiplatform journalism training and development program for four-year university and community college students through education, on-campus training and online programming. FIU is among 17 academic partners nationwide to be selected for NBCU Academy. “As our world becomes increasingly […]

FIU awarded $1M jobs initiative grant from Bank of America

Bank of America has partnered with FIU and other universities throughout the United States to help minority students successfully complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce and embark on a path to success. FIU received a $1 million grant, part of a $25 million, nationwide initiative that includes partnerships with nearly two dozen […]

Investment in the Next Horizon continues with recent gifts to FIU

Following a record-breaking fundraising year, the FIU Foundation is grateful to share some of the more recent investments made in the university’s Next Horizon: Bank of America awarded FIU $1,000,000 to help minority students successfully complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce after graduation. The grant will help scale a pipeline program […]

FIU Foundation LinkedIn Series: Making Dreams a Reality Through the First Generation Scholarship Program

Joan Casanova Gonzalez is the executive director of the Development Office for Student Success at the FIU Foundation. In her role, she oversees development for the First Generation Scholarship Program, which provides support to undergraduate students at FIU who are among the first generation in their families to earn a college degree. An alumna of […]

Leaving a legacy: What endowments mean for donors and the university

–By Maria Rojas At FIU, we often say creating an endowment lets donors leave a legacy. But what does that really mean for a donor and for FIU?  An endowment is a safety net for FIU’s future, a way to ensure the impact of a contribution endures.   When donors initiate an endowment, their principal gift, a contribution of money or other financial assets, is invested. Though it may not start supporting university efforts for a few years (usually four to […]

Foundation responds to immediate needs of FIU, the community during pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and FIU announced its shift to remote learning and work in March, leaders of the FIU Foundation knew the university’s Next Horizon capital campaign would need to be placed on pause to address a more immediate need: Students, faculty and staff, and the surrounding community were suffering, and the Foundation […]

Portrait of a Dreamer: Cesia Bulnes ’19

In 2019, Cesia Bulnes graduated from FIU’s College of Engineering & Computing and Honors College as a Worlds Ahead Graduate. During her studies, she received a full-tuition scholarship from TheDream.US, a partner of FIU that is dedicated to supporting students who are Dreamers. She now works for Microsoft.

Rebuilding the engine: Philanthropy for the next generation

–By Nina Rose  Alberto García Marrero was out of gas.   It was spring 2019, his second-to-last semester at FIU, just a handful of credits away from earning his bachelor’s in international business. Marrero’s FIU tuition was paid for by scholarships, but he helped his parents out financially and could barely cover his living expenses.   Marrero was running out of money, and student loans might be his only solution. He was at the gas […]