Whitney Walker, senior community relations specialist for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), speaks of career opportunities and the importance of STEM studies while her colleagues present local students Miya Aviles, Jayden McNab, and Luke Fourie with $20,000 big checks in front of FPL’s innovative Wynwood Battery in Miami on July 31, 2021. In the fall, McNab will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston while Aviles and Fourie will attend the University of Florida in Gainesville. The three are the first recipients of the new NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black Students in SECME. Photo credit: David Adame for FPL
By Bernadette Morris
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and parent company NextEra Energy announced the NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black Students in SECME, which is a merit award of up to $20,000 for college-bound high school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university for the entire upcoming 2021-2022 academic year.
The NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black Students in SECME was awarded for the first time in a surprise event on July 31, 2021, at FPL’s Miami Wynwood Battery. The scholarship recipients are:
- Luke J. Fourie: A Homestead resident, Luke was a member of several organizations throughout high school in addition to his participation in SECME, namely Math Honor Society, U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and Redlands Christian Migrant Association, among others. He will be attending the University of Florida in the fall and aspires to earn his PhD and become a physicist.
- Jayden McNab: Jayden, who lives in Miramar, first became involved in STEM topics during his sophomore year when he started competing in VEX Robotics tournaments as part of SECME. His love for the field drove him to commit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will pursue a career in computer science.
- Miya V. Aviles: With dreams of one day becoming a nurse, Miya from Hialeah credits SECME for having helped discover her passions. Throughout high school, she volunteered at health centers, attended industry competitions, and even served as a club officer. Miya is a Gator at the University of Florida where she is pursuing a career in healthcare.
Miya Aviles, one of the three recipients of the new NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black Students in SECME, proudly holds her big check beside her godmother Brandeis Rawls-Aviles in Miami on July 31, 2021. Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) awarded a total of $60,000 in scholarship money in front of its innovative Wynwood Battery to South Florida college-bound students who were active in the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering (SECME) club in high school and plan to pursue STEM degrees in college. Photo credit: David Adame for FPL
Luke Fourie (left), recipient of the NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black Students in SECME, is presented with a big check by Cynthia Hernandez, member of NextEra Energy’s African American Professional Engineers Employee Resource Group on July 31, 2021, at FPL’s Wynwood Battery in Miami. Fourie is one of three South Florida students to receive the new scholarship, a merit award of up to $20,000 for college-bound students who have at least one year of experience volunteering in the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering (SECME) club. Photo credit: David Adame for FP