The Kiwanis Club of Biscayne Bay made a significant impact on the lives of two Booker T. Washington High School seniors in Miami this week, awarding them each with a $30,000 scholarship. Sonaly Basurto and Makayla Chery, the deserving recipients, were under no pretense at Tuesday's Senior Awards Ceremony that they were about to receive these fully paid college scholarships.
Sonaly Basurto, a recent U.S. citizen originally from Peru, can now to fully fund her education at Florida International University. According to WSVN, she expressed her disbelief, saying, “This is so exciting, it feels like a dream.” For Basurto, who aspires to someday join the FBI, this scholarship marks a significant step towards achieving her goals.
Makayla Chery, who has triumphed over significant health challenges and loss of vision in one eye, dreams of becoming a nurse. Retelling her reaction to being awarded, Chery told WSVN, "I was like ‘Oh my God’ like butterflies running through my stomach because everything I’ve been through in my life like I prayed to God for this moment.” She will be attending Florida A&M University without the worry of financial burden.
Alongside Kiwanis Club's generosity, the Battier Takes Charge Foundation also awarded eight full Florida prepaid scholarships. According to NBC Miami, each scholarship is valued at up to $30,000. The selection process for these scholarships was rigorous, involving the review of more than 350 pages of applications to ultimately select the worthy recipients.
The Kiwanis Club has been a pillar in the community, granting scholarships to 13 seniors since 2012, with their total contribution now reaching an impressive $420,000. Both Basurto and Chery are set to become the first in their families to attend college, forging new paths and building upon the hard work and dedication that has gotten them this far. With the scholarships in place, the possibilities for these bright minds seem not only hopeful but tangible.
