BriefingKendall Campus

MDC Student Selected For Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program

Aliana Canizares, an economics student at Kendall Campus, has been selected for the Girls Who Invest summer intensive program. 

The 11-week program introduces sophomores to the world of finance and investing. 

Canizares, who is the first Miami Dade College student to participate in the program, will spend four weeks learning about finance skills—such as financial modeling, accounting, valuation and business etiquette—at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and seven weeks interning at an investment firm. The program will culminate in a capstone group project. 

“Finance is an extremely competitive field, especially for women and for someone who doesn’t have direct ties to the industry,” said Canizares, who wants to dive into development economics with a focus in Latin America. “[Girls Who Invest] is like a golden ticket to get an internship your sophomore year.”

Canizares is the president of the Phi Beta Lambda Future Business Leaders of America chapter at Kendall Campus, where she is preparing members to compete at the State Leadership Conference from April 4-7 at the Marriott Orlando World Center. 

In November, she participated in the Amazon Web Services Business Case Competition at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus. Participants created a block-chain solution to target money laundering, fraud prevention and customer loyalty. Canizares’ team placed second and won $2,000.

The 18-year old is also part of the Business Innovation & Technology Center, serving as a liaison between learners and professionals to tailor the center’s services to students’ needs.

Additionally, Canizares also serves as senior analyst in the Student Managed Investment Fund, learning about hedge funds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Benjamin Vera

Benjamin Vera, 19, is a mass communication/journalism major at Kendall Campus. Vera graduated from G. Holmes Braddock High School in 2022 and will serve as staff writer at The Reporter during the 2023-24 school year.

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