Photos

City of Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma K. Noel-Pratt

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

Our March Carnival Scholarship & Mentoring Program was a celebration of International Women’s Month, featuring guest speaker Chief Delma K. Noel-Pratt. In May 2017, Chief Noel-Pratt was sworn in as the first Black female police chief for the City of Miami Gardens Police Department. Chief Noel-Pratt spoke about her struggles growing up in London and the economic hardships her family endured. After moving to Detroit, she came to Florida and attended the Miami-Dade Police Academy. While often the shortest, among few women and frequently the only black woman in the room, she viewed her challenges as opportunities, saying that excellence knows no gender, color or height.

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Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson Shares His Journey

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

During the February meeting of the Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program, Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson spoke about his roots, having been born in Ethiopia and then adopted by Swedish parents. He discussed his journey to becoming a world-famous chef, the obstacles he faced and how he overcame life’s challenges.

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Students Learn About Financial Planning

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

During our January meeting, Carnival Corporation Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Richard Brilliant gave a lively presentation to help the students learn more about financial planning. He spoke about planning for a successful financial future and investing in stocks and bonds versus simply putting money in a bank. Each Big/Little pair was given $10,000 to invest in stocks from a list of companies and then Richard showed how they performed over 10 years. Those who made the most money out of their investments won a prize.

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World-Renowned Artist Romero Britto Visits the Program

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

The Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program had a special visitor in December: internationally renowned artist Romero Britto! Following a video about his life and career, Romero spoke to the group about his upbringing in Brazil and the struggles he faced as he worked to make a better life for himself. We opened the floor for questions, and Romero discussed a variety of topics — from how he paints to spread love and hope to surrounding yourself with people who know more than you. The mentors and students were full of awe listening to his advice and hearing about his journey.

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Meet our 2024 Scholarship Winners

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

For the 22nd consecutive year, Carnival Foundation purchased scholarships from the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and awarded 15 of our students with four-year Florida College Plan scholarships. The students went through a rigorous application process and were chosen based on academic performance, leadership skills, community involvement and interviews. This was the 15th year Carnival Foundation presented these fully prepaid scholarships to college-bound high school seniors. The scholarships were presented at a Miami HEAT game with Carnival Corporation President and CEO Josh Weinstein handing out the awards.

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Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

For our last meeting in May, we celebrated our graduating seniors with a special visit that included awards for Toastmasters and grades, speeches from senior students, performances by select seniors, a visit from graduates of the program, video of the past year and slideshow that featured each of the grads. Congratulations to all of our graduates! We wish you every success as you embark on the next chapter of your lives.

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Former Miami HEAT Player Shane Battier

Seeing Stars

In February, former Miami HEAT player Shane Battier inspired the Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program students and mentors with a dynamic presentation. Shane spoke about winning as a team and helping those around you win, creating bonds, and showing respect to earn respect. He talked about the importance of mentorship and to think of the mentee-mentor relationship as a little team. And, he spoke about how no one wakes up great, that to be successful, you have to fail and get back up.

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April is National Volunteer Month

F.U.N. Team

April is National Volunteer Month, and Carnival Foundation’s collective efforts made a meaningful impact in our communities. More than 400 dedicated volunteers joined together to make a difference for 23 events, spanning various causes and locations. For the first time, Carnival Foundation extended outreach beyond South Florida, organizing events in Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. With the support of sister brands Princess and Seabourn in Santa Clarita and Holland America in Seattle, we fostered a broader sense of community engagement.

From cleaning up beaches and sorting food at local shelters to assisting with Special Olympic games, Carnival Foundation endeavors to make a meaningful impact and have some fun along the way. Visit the F.U.N. Team album to see more photos from the various events.

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Emmy Award-Winning Newscaster Calvin Hughes

Seeing Stars

Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes from Miami’s WPLG Local 10 spoke to the Carnival Scholarship and Mentoring Program students and mentors in April, offering advice on how to be successful. His main message was that you have to stay committed and focused on what you want to do and work hard toward achieving that goal.

Congrats to the Class of 2023!

Scholarship & Mentoring Program

Our final meeting for the 2022/2023 school year culminated with each senior “walking across the stage” and getting their personalized certificate. We gave everyone cords in the Carnival colors and Big Brothers Big Sisters colors. As as farewell gift, all of the seniors also received a graduation bear with a shirt that had their name on the back. We’re so proud of this group of outstanding students, and it’s been a privilege to watch them grow over the past four years.

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