The Graham Companies, the Town of Miami Lakes and its Education Advisory Board celebrated exceptional students during the third annual Awards of Excellence.
Officials honored 12 students from area schools for their achievements on May 9 at the Roberto Alonso Community Center.
Outstanding Educator of the Year was Alejandro Fuenmayor of Bob Graham Education Center, an award sponsored by Headquarter Toyota.
Andrea Graham Rechichi, vice president of corporate relations for The Graham Companies, presented $1,500 college scholarships to Nicholas Lebeña from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School who will attend Florida State University this fall, and Hannah Mesa from Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy and plans to attend Syracuse University.
“The Miami Lakes Future Leaders Scholarship is awarded each year to two high school seniors who have exemplified what it means to truly be a leader in the community,” Graham Rechichi said.
Student winners of the Education Advisory Board’s Awards of Excellence were Sarymar Rivera for Athletics and Roselyn Navarro for Journalism, both from Barbara Goleman Senior High School; Miami Lakes K-8 Center students David Manuel Gonzalez Batista for Business, Kenya Maddox and Lola Llaneza, both for English and Literature; Community Heroes Natalie Alguera of Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High and Zoe Venturino of Miami Lakes Middle School; Fine Arts winners Hannah Mesa from Jose Marti MAST K-12 Academy and Ashley Perez from Miami Lakes Middle School; Local Advocacy winner Carolina Poretti from Miami Lakes Middle School and Matilda Velazco Pryce of Bob Graham Education Center, for STEM.
The Youth Activities Task Force presented Ashley Bu of Barbara Goleman Senior High School with its Youth Leadership award.
Eight retiring teachers received proclamations: Myralene Binns, Vanessa Coburn and Kimberly Ottaviani from Bob Graham Education Center; Eberne Etienne and John Moffi from Miami Lakes Educational Center; Marvin Flinchum and Mercedes Paigo from Barbara Goleman Senior High School and Isel Valdes from Miami Lakes K-8 Center.
Sponsors included Layer 8 Solutions; Galloway Logistics, LLC; The EPIC Foundation; MHC Construction; Specialty Smiles and Virtutem Populo.
Lawton Chiles Middle School’s culinary program provided a meal.
Mayor Manny Cid and Roberto Alonso, Miami-Dade County School Board member for District 4, joined Education Advisory Board members to present the plaques and awards.
In the first photo: Andrea Graham Rechichi, vice president of corporate relations for The Graham Companies, presents $1,500 scholarships to Nicholas Lebeña, left, from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and Hannah Mesa from Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy. Photo of Nicholas Lebeña and Andrea Graham Rechichi by Alexandra Herrera, and of Hannah Mesa and Andrea Graham Rechichi by Jonathan Gil, Town of Miami Lakes.