BankUnited and The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund offer $25,000 annually in scholarship funds to high school seniors attending Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe or Palm Beach schools. This is the 26th year that the Miami HEAT has offered scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance and outstanding community service. Scholarships include the following:
- Three (3) $5,000.00 HEAT Scholarships
- One (1) $5,000.00 Dr. Jack Ramsay Scholarship
- One (1) $5,000.00 Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
- HEAT Scholarship: Awarded to students who have excelled in academics & community service and have a financial need.
- Dr. Jack Ramsay Scholarship: Awarded to students who have excelled in academics & community service and have a financial need.
- Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship: Awarded to student who excels in academics & community service, participates in a sport and has a financial need.
Avari Marshall
- Winner of the Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship.
- High school is Barbara Goleman Senior High School.
- District GPA (weighted) is 3.9 and State GPA (unweighted) is 3.3.
- Played Varsity Football and also on the Track and Field Team.
- His student athlete accolades include being named three time First Team All County in Football and currently holds the school records for the 100 meter and 200 meter in Track and Field.
- Volunteered over 3,000 hours of community service, mostly as a member of the Miami Dade NAACP Youth Council, participating in events and community projects, from Back to School events, Voter Registration Rallies, Membership Campaigns and town hall meetings that address community change and solutions.
- In 2018, Avari was voted Miami Dade Youth Council Parliamentarian, where he continues to serve in this position.
- He plans to study Communications at Delaware State University.
Odelette Redila
- Winner of Dr. Jack Ramsay Scholarship.
- High school is School for Advanced Studies - Wolfson Campus.
- District GPA (weighted) is 5.0 and State GPA (unweighted) is 3.8.
- Participated several extracurricular activities: Treasurer of the Student Government Association, President of the Performing Arts Club, and member of the National Honor Society, Model United Nations, and Mu Alpha Theta tutor.
- She served as the North Miami Youth Council Mayor, relaying the needs of North Miami’s youth community, engaging and advising the Mayor and City Council on matters affecting the youth while making recommendations to improve youth relations, activities and programs.
- Out of school, she volunteered over 750 community service hours.
- She is part of the “Stellar Quintet”, a self-created string ensemble of five of her friends who perform in retirement homes / elderly nursing facilities, bringing joy and cheer to the residents.
- She is also part of several different music/orchestra programs; including the Principal Second Violinist for the South Florida Youth Symphony, Violinist for the Filipino American Ministries, and Violinist for Nu Deco NXT Ensemble, which focuses on composition, improvisation, and genre-bending classical music.
- Plans to study Television, Radio and Film at Syracuse University.
Nicole Torres
- Winner of HEAT Scholarship (1 of 3).
- High school is School for Advanced Studies - Kendall Campus.
- District GPA (weighted) is 5.4 and State GPA (unweighted) is 4.0.
- Volunteered over 800 hours of community service.
- She was her school’s Key Club founder and Vice President, establishing this service organization for students at her school. She also served on the Miami-Dade County Government Youth Commission, on the Children’s Trust Youth Advisory Council, and as a volunteer at the Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption & Protection Center.
- In the summer of 2020 during the start of the COVID19 pandemic, she founded “Learn to Express”, a student-run community service organization dedicated to encouraging ways of expression and empowering young people to succeed in education by providing an outlet for their creativity and innovation. She currently leads a group of 200+ volunteers to teach expression classes to kids such as art, dance, baking, and academic tutoring in various subjects through Zoom.
- Because of her project, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) she was named 2021 Student Volunteer of the Year and was invited her to serve as the sole high school student to intern with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) Office of Communications and Engagement.
- Plans to study Business Economics & Public Policy at one of the following schools: Princeton University or University of Pennsylvania.
Andrew Landsaw
- Winner of HEAT Scholarship (2 of 3).
- High school is Cutler Bay Senior High School.
- District GPA (weighted) is 5.3 and State GPA (unweighted) is 4.0
- Volunteered over 1,100 hours of community service.
- At his high school, he was elected to Class President for the past three years. In this position, he has given many hours of service in organizing activities and opportunities for his fellow classmates.
- He also served as the Liberal Arts Academy President, National Honor Society President, and Track & Field / Cross Country Captain.
- Concerned with the stress level that many of his peers reported, especially with the pandemic, he responded by founding and serving as President of the “Least of Our Worries Club” whose mission it is to relieve student stress through peer-led activities. This program helped his peers cope better with stress and mental health.
- Currently serves on the National Youth Advisory Board for Sandy Hook Promise, planning and leading national activities, presenting to organizations across the country, while creating violence prevention curriculum.
- Plans to study Political Science one of the following schools: Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, or the University of Florida.
Kayla Leveille-Lindor
- Winner of HEAT Scholarship (3 of 3).
- High school is Blanche Ely High School.
- District GPA (weighted) is 4.9 and State GPA (unweighted) is 3.9.
- Volunteered over 390 hours of community service.
- Her current extracurricular activities include President of her school National Honor Society, Broward Student Activities Association and is also on her school Tennis team.
- She has been actively involved in every event her National Honor Society has hosted. Her diligence in planning new and creative events has encouraged more students to want to be active members.
- She also part of the Blanche Ely High School pre-medical magnet program, with a curriculum specifically tailored to prepare students for college entry to further their education in the medical sciences.
- While juggling roles in multiple on campus organizations, she has mentored and tutored students within and outside the classroom and has been a wonderful player-coach for new players on her tennis team.
- While being active in a variety of clubs and organizations, she also has a part time job as a medical biller.
- Plans to study Economics & Finance at Florida State University.