Three MDC Students Snag $7,500 Hites Transfer Scholarship
By Maria Eduarda Mottin, Sabrina Toro and Benjamin Vera
Miami Dade College students, Javier Cuñat, Manuel Andrés Martínez, and Arquímedes “Archie” Rivero, have been awarded the Hites Transfer Scholarship.
Each student will receive $7,500. The scholarship is awarded to Phi Theta Kappa members for their academic performance, leadership and civic engagement.
Ten students nationwide were selected from a pool of 3,000 applicants.
Javier Cuñat
Cuñat is a computer science student in the Honors College at Kendall Campus.
Last fall, he served as secretary of the Student Government Association and founded CyberSharks, a computer science and cyber security club.
In January of 2023 through May of 2024, he was a tech fellow for CodePath, a non-profit organization that supports minorities pursuing tech careers. He assisted students developing an android application. Last summer, he served as a software development engineer intern at Amazon for four months.
The 19-year-old was also a part-time data researcher at MDC; with a team of three students and a faculty researcher, he analyzed people’s perspective on artificial intelligence in the workforce.
Cuñat, who was born in Valencia, Spain, aspires to transfer to either Stanford University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
“I want to promote projects that create a better human experience in tech-related spaces,” Cuñat said.
Manuel Andrés Martínez
Martínez is a sophomore in the Honors College at Padrón Campus.
Despite witnessing his grandparents grapple with cancer and his father brave through amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal neurological disease, Martínez found time to serve his community.
The 20-year-old was the president of the Community First Committee, a senate committee within SGA dedicated to service, and volunteered at the Little Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps low-income children in South Florida.
He was also vice president of Engineers for a Sustainable World, a club that promotes environmental sustainability through hands-on projects.
Last summer, the bioengineering student co-launched Give a Hand Mission, an initiative that aims to use 3D printers to create prosthetic hands for disabled children.
“Prosthetic arms are extremely expensive, [prices] oftentimes [ranging] from $5,000 to $10,000. We can reduce that cost using 3D printers to roughly $30 per hand,” Martínez said. “I aim for these children to feel appreciated and loved by society when they receive a personalized prosthetic arm.”
The Venezuelan-native hopes to transfer to MIT, Harvard or Stanford to pursue a career in neuroscience.
Arquímedes Rivero
Rivero is a sophomore studying economics and international relations in the Honors College at Wolfson Campus.
The 19-year-old served as SGA president this school year, where he founded the Campus Response Committee, a senate committee dedicated to assisting students with campus inquiries.
During his tenure, SGA also partnered with Miami-Dade County District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins and District 7 Commissioner Raquel A. Regalado’s offices by participating in food distributions.
In the same year, he served as the SGA Board of Trustees representative and as co-chair communicator for the Student Investment Management Fund, where he assisted with social media, public relations and event planning.
Rivero hopes to transfer to Georgetown University, Yale University or Duke University. He aspires to be a diplomat and work in global policy.
“My mother always instilled hard work in me growing up,” Rivero said. “This opportunity just means the world because I’m able to continue taking advantage of the academic, social and professional opportunities that are being offered to me.”
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