Roselyn Moreno is a full-time theatre student and a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Scholarship recipient. She’s pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. During her first years of school, Roselyn had scholarships that covered her studies up to 120 credits. However, her theatre program is five years long, so RCL has helped her finance her last year of college. “At the time, I had also just become aware of Royal Caribbean’s influence on the Theatre Department and the partnership that we have and I thought, why not apply for this scholarship, maybe I’ll work for Royal Caribbean in the future,” said Roselyn.

Caroline Frias is a full-time theatre student and a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Scholarship recipient. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and hopes to become a costume designer one day, ideally living in New York. Her two brothers are going to college next year and she says that this scholarship has really helped her family manage their tuition expenses. Without the scholarship, it would've been hard for Caroline to dedicate all her time to her studies, as she probably would've had to take on a job outside of school. “Most of our work is in the nighttime so it would’ve been hard to have a work schedule because I have school in the morning and I have theatre at night,” said Caroline.

Osvaldo Vargas is a graduate student of Jazz Performance and a recipient of the School of Music scholarship. The passionate drummer is looking to pursue a career as a jazz performer and professor. He says that thanks to the scholarship, he’s been able to continue his studies and take full advantage of FIU’s music program. “Without the scholarship, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to stay in school, because I’m here by myself,” said Osvaldo.

“I would like to thank the donors of the Gus Amaya Scholarship Foundation from the bottom of my heart for recognizing the many things that students of the Communication department have to offer and bestowing upon me this honorable award. I have learned a great deal and made many valuable relationships during my time at FIU. I know that I can use the skills that I honed during my college experience beyond graduation and receiving this scholarship means that my hard work did not go unnoticed. Being the recipient of one of this university’s many scholarships makes me confident in its dedication to putting students first. I look forward to seeing the amazing things that the College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts will do in the future.”

“Being a student that started off at Miami-Dade College pursuing a career in Interior Design, I noticed the difference when transferring to FIU and how much funding really matters. The money that you, as donors, provide really opens us up to the field, especially in a city like Miami, where we need that exposure. So your help really gets us started professionally. The award I received gives me a sense of accomplishment. It goes to further show that I made the right decision to study Interior Architecture and that this is what I am meant to do.”

“Having a scholarship to me is a reassurance that I am not alone in the pursuit of my dreams as a musician. Being a young, immigrant student who is putting forth maximum effort and dedication to fulfilling a career in music, I am ever so grateful for the great support that scholarships offer students like myself.”

“Receiving a scholarship was a very big deal to me. It not only meant that I was able to finance some very important aspects of my studies, it also made me feel truly valued as a student at FIU. So many things I’ve done would not have been possible if I hadn’t received the scholarship. Also, my family was extremely proud of me, which was a huge bonus.”

“To be able to acquire the scholarship means that I am able to pursue my architecture major with a more facilitated and creative perspective because I have access to better materials. My scholarship has given me financial stability for my first year of graduate school. It also allows me to focus more on my assignments and to be able to have an internship to work towards my career development."

“For me, having a scholarship means the opportunity to have a better future, to achieve a more inspiring career, and of course, to have the possibility of concentrating more on my education. I believe that education is the best gift, and this award means that with hard work, interest and enthusiasm, dreams can become realities. I would like to quote one of the most inspiring people, Malala Yousafzai: ‘Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.’”

“I’m one of those students who’s been attending college for five years now, and the fact that there are donors who are willing to help students, such as myself, is a very huge relief. It allows us to focus on our career path without worrying about a wall of money stopping us in our place. It’s a liberating feeling. As a resident of Palm Beach and not Miami-Dade, I naturally have had to pay for on-campus living along with tuition and classes. Having to pay for these expenses has been a struggle. I’ve racked up many loans over the years, but to know that I might actually be able to spend a semester taking classes without owing money is almost inconceivable to me. Earning scholarships pushes me to take beneficial risks towards my career after graduation.”