Miami, May 13, 2025 – Five Miami Dade College (MDC) Honors College students have been awarded prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation‘s Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships, a highly competitive program that provides students up to $55,000 a year to complete a bachelor’s degree. MDC has the most winners this year among participating colleges across the country. In addition, a total of 18 MDC students were named semi-finalist.
MDC students have been awarded more Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships than at any other U.S. college in the program’s history.
“We are so proud of our Cooke Transfer Scholars and semi-finalists,” said Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega. “Miami Dade College has a long tradition of fostering future leaders who go on to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond. Their success underscores the College’s mission of transforming lives through the power of education and reflects our deep commitment to academic excellence.”
Meet this year’s MDC Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars:
Daniel Yantani Coto
Daniel is on track to a career in economics with the goals of creating a more equitable and innovative world, eradicating poverty and alleviating inequality of opportunities. Born and raised in rural Costa Rica, he grew up in a low-income, single-parent household where his mother worked multiple jobs to provide for the family. Through this perspective and the challenges that he encountered, he sought out a career that would help him contribute to making the world a better place. In addition to excelling in academics, he conducted research with faculty analyzing regulation and baking stability. He also served as President of the Homestead Campus’ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) club, leading the award-winning Honors in Action with the Neva King Cooper Educational Center, was a Peer Advisor with the Institute for Civic Engagement & Democracy, and was member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Daniel is headed to Princeton University.
Daniela Fonseca
Daniela, a psychology major, recently graduated from the Dual Language Program at MDC Padrón Campus. After arriving from Venezuela at 17 years old, she earned a GED and moved to North Carolina, where she worked in a factory seven days a week. When she returned to Miami, she applied to MDC’s Honors College. With a passion to help others achieve their dreams, Daniela rose to president of The Honors College Ambassador Program, dedicating many hours to sharing her story of perseverance with future students. She is also deeply committed to supporting those around her. As president of Psych Force, she organized mental health initiatives like QPR suicide prevention training, art therapy events and therapy dog sessions. She has participated in the NATO Youth Summit, IX Presidential Dialogue for Peace, IREX Global Solutions Conversations and the Face of Aging Conference. She is also a PTK Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship recipient. Daniela has been accepted at Emerson College, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Duke University.
Maite Roque Franco
Maite enrolled at MDC just three months after arriving in the U.S. from Cuba. As a biology major in the Dual Enrollment Program at Padrón Campus, she maintained top grades while working part-time, serving in multiple leadership positions, participating in research and volunteering in her community. As an American Heart Association Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Scholar, Maite will present her research focused on leveraging AI to address stroke disparities among Hispanic patients at the 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. In addition, she participated in an Anthropology and Social Medicine Research project, where she researched textbook accessibility, analyzed dementia care plans across various states and explored injury and head trauma scales to develop an accessible assessment tool for unsheltered individuals. Maite, who was also awarded a Phi Theta Kappa Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship, founded the Verba Vitae Book Club, served as an Honors College Ambassador and co-led The Honors College Peer Mentor Program. She aspires to become a physician and has been accepted at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Claudia Gomez
Claudia immersed herself in research as an undergraduate biology student at the Kendall Campus. She was selected to participate in the 2024 South Florida Research Consortium’s Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) at the University of Miami. Upon completion, she was invited to stay and continue working on research throughout 2025. This summer, she will intern at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. As a participant in the program, she will spend eight weeks immersed in a research project affiliated with the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Aside from her passion for biology, Claudia is also active in speech and debate. She is part of the MDC Forensics Society and has attended tournaments where she placed in several categories. Claudia was awarded the prestigious Shira Brownstein Fellowship Award and the Warren-Dahlin Fellowship Award at two recent national competitions.
Victor Michel Gonzalez
Victor, a mathematics major at the Kendall Campus, is a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholar and was selected to attend the 2025 Global Citizenship Alliance Academic Seminar in Salzburg, Austria. Born and raised in Cuba, he moved to the U.S. after high school to pursue a college education. In Cuba, he participated in international math and physics competitions and has co-published several research papers in the fields of mathematics and physics. Victor is a founding member of Math4U, a nonprofit organization aimed at tutoring students in math. Through this organization, he has taught and mentored peers at the Kendall and Padron campuses. He was awarded the Outstanding Student in Physics Award and the Pappas-Bray Physics Quantum Scholarship Award at the 2025 Kendall Campus Academic Awards Ceremony. Victor plans to continue his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and ultimately obtain a doctorate degree in mathematics.
The 2025 cohort marks one of the largest in the Foundation’s 25-year history, reinforcing its continued commitment to creating debt-free pathways to higher education for high-achieving students with financial need.
“This year’s cohort reflects the remarkable talent and determination thriving in community colleges nationwide,” said Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “As we mark 25 years of impact, we remain committed to amplifying the successes of these students and opening doors to the opportunities they deserve.”
While nearly 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 16% reach that goal within six years. The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which makes this goal more attainable for selected students, provides last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for up to three years and eases the financial burden of completing a four-year degree. Beyond funding, Scholars receive personalized advising to guide their academic and professional journeys. Scholars also gain access to a nationwide network of more than 3,400 Cooke Scholars and Alumni, along with opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school support – ensuring they have every tool needed to thrive beyond community college.
This year’s selection process drew more than 1,600 applications from community colleges across the nation. The 90 new Scholars were selected from a semifinalist pool of 467 students. Applicants were evaluated based on their academic achievement, unmet financial need, persistence, and leadership qualities.
A complete list of the 2025 Cooke Transfer Scholar finalists and their respective community colleges is available here. To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the website here.
About The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded almost $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising, career pathway counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College (MDC) is the most diverse institution in the nation, with 167 nations and 63 languages represented in its student body. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer over 300 distinct degree pathways, including associate and baccalaureate degrees, certifications and apprenticeships. MDC is the recipient of many top national awards, including the prestigious Aspen Prize, and has been ranked #4 among Top Public Institutions in the Southern Region by U.S. News & World Report. The College changes lives through accessible, high-quality teaching and learning experiences. It is home to the Miami Culinary Institute, the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex, the Miami Fashion Institute, The Idea Center, the Cybersecurity Center of the Americas, two AI Centers, the Center for Learning, Innovation and Simulation at the Medical Campus, the Business Innovation & Technology Center, the School for Advanced Studies and New World School of the Arts, among others. MDC has been recognized among the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” since the program’s inception. The College serves as an economic, cultural and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community. MDC alumni and employees contribute more than $5 billion annually to the local economy, and graduates occupy top leadership positions in every major industry. MDC’s renowned rich cultural programming includes the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, Koubek Center Mansion and Gardens, Live Arts Miami at MDC, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, and the Museum of Art and Design. MDC has admitted more than 2.5 million students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. Approximately 125,000 students are currently enrolled. For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.
Jack Kent Cooke Media Contact: Julia Florence, media@jkcf.org.