Carnival Foundation Awards 2015 College Scholarships to 16 Students

MIAMI (March 20, 2015) — Carnival Foundation, in partnership with the Miami HEAT NBA basketball team and Florida Prepaid College Foundation, presented 16 South Florida students with four-year college scholarships Friday, March 20, during halftime at the HEAT basketball game against the Denver Nuggets.

The students currently participate in the “Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program,” an innovative workplace program sponsored by Carnival, in partnership with the Miami HEAT and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, that pairs a student with an employee mentor from Carnival. Prior to entering high school and participating in the Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program, the students attended the HEAT Academy, an after-school enrichment program for at-risk elementary-age youth.

The 2015 scholarship recipients by school are:

Booker T. Washington:
Chelsie Johnson
Leshann Whittaker

G. Holmes Braddock:
Yareli Chang
Alondra Roldan

Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Angie Torrentes

Mater Academy East Charter
Marcel Martinez

Miami Central Senior High
Sherline Pierre

Miami Coral Park Senior High
Karen Ortega

Miami Northwestern
Samuel Dervil
Cedrica Smith

Miami Senior High
Jeimy Mineros
Diana Montalvan
Steven Ortiz
Cindy Tellez
Tristan Joseph
Alexander Ubau

In addition to receiving the scholarship, students were presented with a new Dell laptop computer to support their studies, compliments of Carnival Foundation, Dell and Microsoft. Perry Ellis and Peony also donated $100 gift cards to each student to help them spruce up their college wardrobe.

The scholarships, purchased by Carnival Foundation, were handed out at center court by Coll, with a congratulatory handshake given to each student by Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation. Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho, founder of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation Stanley Tate, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami and the HEAT, including former HEAT star center and current Vice President of Player Programs Alonzo Mourning and President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth, were on hand to acknowledge the students.

Carnival’s David Steedman, director, shipboard guest services, was at the event to support his “little” Tristan Joseph who received a scholarship, and he put together this wonderful video to show behind-the-scenes and event festivities.

For the past 13 years, Carnival has purchased Project STARS scholarships from Florida Prepaid College Foundation, representing a collective value of more than $2 million. The Florida Prepaid College Foundation scholarship covers the cost of tuition for two years at a Florida college followed by two years at a Florida public university. This is the sixth year Carnival’s scholarship recipients have matriculated into college.

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