Silver Knight Award winners were announced May 17, and Mater Academy Charter High School (MACH) had two Honorable Mentions in the Digital and Interactive Media category as well as the Social Science category.
“Silver Knight was never about winning,” said Social Science category participant Abel González. “This honorable mention has simply empowered me to further my mission and continue advocating for minority students. I know that my efforts have not gone unnoticed.”
González was nominated because of his project “D.I.G It”. The platform was created to involve his school through workshops and community initiatives that highlight diversity, inclusion and globalism. González’s goal in creating this project was to engage immigrated and at-risk teens using higher learning. González also plans on spearheading a nonprofit that continues his already established project which will make learning about these issues more accessible to minority communities.
In addition to his project, González also has a 5.3 unweighted GPA and is the 2018 salutatorian. He’s also the school’s very first Telluride Association alumnus, Coca-Cola scholar and Elks Scholar. Along with a plaque and $500 award from Silver Knight, he’s also won the Gates Scholarship and Burger King scholarship.
González had been a Miami Lakes resident up to his freshman year, and is planning on attending Stanford university while earning his major in Bioengineering with a minor in Human Rights.
“Ten years from now, I see myself working in sustainable development and biotechnology. I hope to run my own company and revolutionize the field of medicine on a global scale,” said González.
Digital and Interactive Media category nominee, Daniel Iglesias, was awarded an Honorable Mention for his project dealing with technology and various forms of media that can be used to teach English for free to communities all around South Florida. In addition to the Silver Knight award, Iglesias also earned the Cornell Book Award and the Ronald Regan Student Leader Award. He’s earned scholarships from Burger King, Comcast, Univision, and American Airlines. He plans on attending University of Pennsylvania while focusing on Biology and Public Policy.
“Earning Honorable Mention to m, means that it is possible regardless of your background or the resources available to you, to push for bettering the lives of those around you and engage in acts of service that may benefit individuals in need,” explained Iglesias. “It is something I am grateful for, and I believe all nominees were qualified. I am glad to know all of us in that auditorium were passionate about working to improve the future of tomorrow through volunteerism.”