MIAMI (WSVN) – After coming to the United States less than five years ago, a group of Miami-Dade College students are heading to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
David Alejandro Ramírez majored in mechanical engineering, conducting theoretical research, algebraic topology, and coding theory.
A three-time math olympiad gold medalist, Ramírez has had his work accepted at international conferences and major publications.
“So I think that the strongest part of my application was the investigation that I did in mathematics,” he said.
Ramirez said that MDC gave him a lot of resources to help him on his path.
“I am part of the [Miami-Dade College] honors program, which provided me with a scholarship that, the other scholarship was very important to me since I didn’t have to worry about the academic part, I didn’t have to worry about the books or paying my classes,” said Ramirez.
As a teenager, he came to the U.S. from Cuba alone.
“I immigrated to the United States at 17 years old, I traveled to Spain and then I came here. At the beginning I was living with my stepsister, I was living in Orlando, I think that I got accustomed to school pretty well, because I think I’m very social, so I made friends really well,” he said.
He said that his biggest challenge was speaking English, but he said he learned the language very fast.
After three years in the United States and being accepted into MIT, Ramirez is still processing the major accomplishment.
“I haven’t start to think about how big that is, but for sure I’m very proud of the person that I become,” said Ramirez
He also said that he’s proud of how his discipline and confidence have improved during his time at MDC.
“The main thing that I emigrated to United States was for a very academic future, so of course I always wanted to work to MIT,” he said.
With that dream in his mind, MDC made sense for him.
“When I hear about the MDC Honors College, I saw how many students were getting accepted to those university. Which made me think, ‘Okay, if I put effort in, its going to be possible,’” he said.
Mayte Alverez Trimino majored in physics at Miami-Dade College.
While at the college, she researched solar plasma dynamics, studied complex behaviors in solar radio bursts, and mentored fellow first-generation and immigrant students.
“Until now I think I’m crying every day of excitement,” she said. “Having the opportunity not only to apply and be considered as a transfer student is a dream come true.”
Alverez Trimino came from Cuba almost three years ago, and said it was financially impossible for her to start school right away.
“I had to start working full time to support myself and my family, and at the same time I tried to study by myself, especially calculus and astrophysics which is my main interest,” she said.
She learned about the Honors College program, and the scholarships available. She applied, and was accepted.
Alverez Trimio said the experience lasted two hard years, but it was worth it.
“To achieve these type of things, you need to put so much work on it, and managing a lot of classes, high classes in the semester, research, leadership,” she said.
She added that none of it would have been possible without the support of her professors, faculty, and her mentor.
Alverez Trimino said that she plans to focus on plasma physics when she attends MIT, with a goal of achieving cleaner energy.
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