Miami Lakes residents David Pacheco and James Pullen were among 50 Miami-Dade high school graduates who were awarded the 21st annual Salute to Education scholarship sponsored by South Florida Ford and Lincoln dealers and Ford Motor Company.
A total of $75,000 in scholarships were awarded to the students who also received laptop computers.
Pullen, who graduated from Hialeah Miami Lakes High School, won in the category for sports, while Pacheco, who graduated from Miami Lakes Educational Center, won for Mathematical Sciences/Computer Sciences.
The winners were announced last month during a ceremony at the Signature Grand in Davie.
“We recognize the tremendous potential in the students within the South Florida community and we are committed to helping them pursue their dreams of a higher education,” said David Menten, president of Salute to Education and president of Sawgrass Ford.
Other students who attend Miami Lakes' area schools were also recognized as award winners.
They were Mater Academy’s Loana Nardoni (athletics), Andy Alfonso (Leadership Service), Fabian Aristizabal (Natural Science) and Stefanie Valverde (Performing Arts and Visual Arts), and Mater Lakes Academy’s Jarling Perez (Leadership Service).
Salute to Education is one of the largest private scholarship programs in South Florida and has awarded nearly $3.7 million in scholarships to more than 4,100 deserving public and private high-school seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.