Miami, April 8, 2021 – Miami Dade College (MDC) Eduardo J. Padrón Campus biology major Amalia Abraham Martin has been awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious endowment for undergraduates pursuing research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering in the country.
Abraham, an MDC Honors College Dual Language Program student with a 4.0 GPA, was chosen from a pool of more than 1,250 applicants from 438 institutions across the country.
“I still can’t believe I got this scholarship,” she said. “I applied last fall but never thought I was going to get it. I had to check the website a few times to make sure.”
Born in Cuba, the 20-year-old arrived in the U.S. five years ago with a dream of becoming a computer engineer, like her father. In 2018, while in the hospital caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, she fell in love with the medical profession.
Abraham will graduate from MDC this summer and plans to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton, or Johns Hopkins University to pursue a career as a doctor and researcher specializing in oncology.
“It inspires me to see people getting better,” said Abraham, a volunteer researcher at the University of Miami.
In addition to her academic work, Abraham serves as vice president of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and is website designer for Padrón Campus’ award-winning literary magazine Urbana. She also helps raise funds for the cancer nonprofit Sebastian Strong.
Last year, she was named a 2020 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar in recognition of her outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 as a living memorial to honor Senator Barry Goldwater’s lifetime work. He served the United States for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the Senate. By providing scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering, the Goldwater Foundation helps ensure that the U.S. is producing the number of highly qualified professionals the Nation needs in these critical fields. Since the inception of the program, nearly 9,500 undergraduates have now been named Goldwater Scholars. To learn more, visit https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/.