College Forum • Volume 26 • Number 4 • Two New Scholarships Nuture Successful Leaders of the Future

Some of the Miami Dade College students profiled here have traveled outside of state for the first time. Others have earned professional certificates or are graduating early. And many of them have gotten involved in student government and other extracurricular activities.

These are only a few of the ways that two MDC scholarship programs are changing hundreds of lives in meaningful ways. Now in their second year, the Rising Black Scholars and Presidential Scholars programs are developing the next generation of leaders, thanks to the College’s investment in mentorship, academics, changemaking opportunities, financial aid and more.

Here and on Pages 8 and 12, meet five of the grateful scholars, whose futures are undoubtedly brighter.

Rising Black Scholars

Shamori Fancher very rarely turns down the chance to go to a networking event, volunteer activity or conference.

She doesn’t want to squander an opportunity to learn – even if it means driving from her Florida City home across town with no air conditioning in her car. “I know there is someone else who wants to be in my spot,” she said. “I just feel blessed that I can do it.”

Through the Rising Black Scholars program, Fancher has experienced many “firsts,” including a trip to Washington, D.C.

There, she visited a place she had hoped to see one day: the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Back in Miami, she met basketball great Udonis Haslem, and got dressed up for the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce’s “Little Black Dress & Pearl” event.

“I never would have thought I’d be able to do all of this,” she said. “I feel like I am really growing as a person.”

All of this has happened as she pursues her Associate in Arts with a pathway to a major in Nursing at Homestead Campus. She is set to graduate in December and plans to stay at MDC to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Fancher said there was time when she didn’t know if she would ever be able to accomplish her goal of becoming a nurse.

After high school, she felt “stuck.” She didn’t have high enough SAT scores to get into her first-choice school, the University of Central Florida. She considered joining the Air Force. When she got the acceptance letter to RBS, she screamed.

Rising Black Scholars: Terrill Smith

Between attending three different schools and having to stay home his senior year because of the COVID pandemic, he wasn’t sure what to do when he graduated.

It was an Instagram post from Miami Dade College’s Rising Black Scholars (RBS) program that gave him the kick he needed to pursue higher education. He applied and was accepted.

“RBS sparked my interest in school again,” he said. “It totally changed my perspective and gave me the motivation I needed.”

For him, the scholarship meant receiving financial aid, having someone to guide him through enrollment and tell him which classes to take, and most of all, a support system – something he desperately needed.

Smith, who has a 3.76 GPA, is on the Dean’s List and plans on graduating in the spring with an Associate in Arts with a pathway to a major in graphic or commercial arts. He also credits RBS for encouraging him to get involved in extracurricular activities, including the Student Government Association, of which he is now treasurer at North Campus.

Most recently, he attended the Men of Color Student Leadership Institute Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he shared ideas and learned from other students and leaders. He says he is doing his best to soak up all the opportunities he has been given.

His goal is to attend Florida A&M University’s journalism school and one day get a job in graphic arts.

“I am really happy with how everything turned out,” he said. “I feel like I’ve come a long way.”

Presidential Scholars Program

When John Ocampo didn’t get accepted to his dream school – Florida State University (FSU) – he knew he had work to do.

Then he heard about the Presidential Scholars Program and saw it as the pathway to his future.

“As soon as I got to MDC, a switch flipped,” he said, explaining that he realized it was on him to accomplish his goal. “Being a part of this program sets you up for success.”

Now, not even two years later, Ocampo is set to graduate in December with an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree and start FSU in the spring.

The Presidential Scholars Program gave Ocampo the motivation he needed to “work hard,” get good grades and join extracurriculars. “MDC brought that out of me,” Ocampo said.

He’s had opportunities to network, get over his fear of public speaking and travel to Boston for a cultural experience.

“Everything will help you in the long run,” he said. “I was terrified of speaking in front of people. Now I am more comfortable doing it.”

He went from doing just what he had to do in high school to being involved in the Student Government Association at Kendall Campus, Model United Nations and the pre-law society.

With the help of his advisors, he realized quickly that college is about more than just going to class. He also has managed to maintain a 3.9 GPA while working toward his A.A., with a pathway to a major in Political Science.

Ocampo’s goal is to become a lawyer or work in government one day as an analyst. He’s thankful MDC has given him “a platform to be successful.”

Presidential Scholars: Ana Taboada

Putting her fears behind her, Ana Taboada took the podium and addressed a room full of civic leaders, community activists and educators being inducted into the Miami Dade College Alumni Hall of Fame.

She credits her experience as an MDC Presidential Scholar for giving her the gumption, education and social skills that put her on that stage.

“It was an honor to share my story with the 2022 inductees and community members, who are prime examples of civic and business leaders within our community,” she said.

Taboada has come a long way from her freshman days when she was afraid to apply for school.

“I was very nervous about not knowing the campus, not having friends and just being lost,” said Taboada, who attended Miami Arts Charter School. “I do feel I fit better at MDC than any other school.”

Taboada is on track to graduate in the spring with an Associate in Arts with a pathway to a major in Biology. She wants to stay at MDC to get her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences.

The Presidential Scholars Program has given her opportunities she wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere, including a Jackson West Medical Center tour. Afterward, Taboada was allowed to shadow a practicing gynecologist – the specialty she plans to pursue.

“I never would have gotten that chance if it wasn’t for the tour,” she said. The program has also taught her what being a changemaker means.

“Being a changemaker means to have empathy for others, to understand different perspectives and working together to achieve a common goal. And I think that represents MDC and Presidential Scholars as a whole.”