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(Photo credit: Miami Dade College)
During its second commencement ceremony on Apr. 22, Miami Dade College (MDC) announced that Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin has made a transformational gift of $20 million to increase access and opportunity for MDC students. Griffin’s gift is the largest single philanthropic gift in MDC history.
The gift will be used to establish the Griffin Scholarship Fund, which will provide access to a high-quality college education for all qualifying students graduating from high school in Miami-Dade County.
“We are deeply grateful to Ken Griffin for this historic gift,” said MDC President Madeline Pumariega. “The Griffin Scholarship Fund will transform countless lives in our community and accelerate our mission to ensure that every student has a path to economic mobility.”
Through the Griffin Scholarship Fund, students will receive the resources they need to earn a college degree, such as tuition assistance, books, tutors and career coaches. It also will facilitate study abroad opportunities, emergency funds and additional wraparound services, including help transferring to top universities upon the completion of an associate degree.
“Miami Dade College is the on-ramp to the American Dream for tens of thousands of Floridians each year. By empowering students with vital skills and creating lifelong learners, MDC transforms lives,” Griffin said. “It is an honor to support such an important institution in our community.”
As Democracy’s College, MDC is committed to transforming students’ lives through academic excellence, innovation and ensuring students have the skills to meet the workforce needs of the future. Half of MDC students are the first in their families to go to college and more than half are from low-income households.
When it comes to promoting students’ economic mobility, MDC ranks first out of 28 Florida public colleges. The college confers more associate degrees than any other college in the nation and ranks No.1 in terms of associate degrees conferred to Hispanics and number of students earning industry certifications.
Griffin is among the country’s leading philanthropists. He has long been committed to expanding opportunity and creating strong, vibrant communities, particularly through his work to unlock the power of a high-quality education for more students and to bridge the digital divide.
He has supported work to scale high-impact tutoring programs and has funded transformative scholarships that have supported thousands of low-income and first-generation college students. In 2020, as schools closed their doors, Griffin helped convene public and private partners to provide free high-speed broadband access to over 400,000 low-income students across Chicago and Miami, and supported national initiatives aimed at closing the internet affordability gap for more than 18 million households across America.
Through his continued philanthropy, Griffin is focused on achieving tangible progress towards enabling all students to achieve their potential and equipping our next generation of leaders with the tools needed to succeed.
Since its inception in 1960, MDC has embraced its role as South Florida’s talent and workforce generator. Home to a unique student body — 91 percent of students identify as Hispanic or Black non-Hispanic and 63 different languages are spoken — MDC is the largest and most diverse college in the nation. As part of its mission, MDC serves as an economic, cultural and civic leader for the advancement of South Florida’s global community.
To learn more, visit www.mdc.edu.
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