Scholarships Allowed FIU Panther to Focus on Studies, Provided Mentorship, and Gave Her the Chance to Broaden Her Horizons

Curtia McGill

Curtia McGill graduated from FIU in May 2019 with a degree in organizational communication.

McGill is among the first in her family to earn a college degree. She grew up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and attended Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where she took dual-enrollment classes at FIU. So it felt natural to continue her studies as a Panther.

McGill pushed herself to excel at FIU. But juggling two part-time jobs with a full class schedule was at times overwhelming. She was grateful to earn a spot in the Golden Scholars Bridge Program and receive the Braman Family Foundation Completion Scholarship, both of which offered financial support and mentorship.

“It was a big relief,” she said. “I was always worried about being in debt, and to wake up one morning and see the tuition balance on my account was gone was a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

It allowed her to cut back to working only one on-campus job and focus on her classes. It also helped her to study abroad in Thailand, focusing on cultural communications of Asia.

“Knowing there are people out there who want to support students like me made me want to work harder. I’m grateful, and I’m inspired to do it in the future when I can. You never know how you’re impacting people’s lives,” McGill said.

Since graduating, McGill works full-time in Miami. She hopes to advance in her career as an organizational communications consultant.