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New Gulliver Prep graduate Milo Suarez was Gulliver Prep’s 2022 Silver Knight Nominee for Athletics. As a four-year starter for the Gulliver Varsity Baseball Team, Suarez has committed to further his athletic and academic talents at Dartmouth College. This year as a senior and leader of the Gulliver varsity program, he was the starting second baseman at the Miami-Dade Senior All-Star Game and was named the 2022 3A-15 HSBN All-District Second Baseman.
Suarez began playing when he was about six years old and still remembers getting his first baseball glove.
“I fell in love with the game of baseball the second I stepped on the field,” he says.
While athletics were important to him, he said he did not put all his eggs in one basket.
“Academics has always been very important to me, and I have always tried to balance it with my athletics,” he says.
Suarez has won numerous academic awards. This year, he was inducted into the College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program. He received the George Washington University Book Award, which recognizes a high school junior that embodies GWU’s persona through academic brilliance and community leadership.
Silver Knight nominees have a strong commitment to community service. He founded the Together Strong Foundation in 2019 with his sister, an organization dedicated to helping children in need in the community (TogetherStrong.net).
“Our organization provides food, shoes, and supplies for children in the communities of Broward and Miami-Dade.”
With the advent of COVID, they partnered with local businesses to show support to the health care heroes at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Baptist Hospital by providing them with meals and supplies.
“In addition to providing these resources, we have volunteered and interacted with the children at Chapman Partnership, and SOS Children’s Villages.”
His most memorable experience was interacting with kids at Together Strong’s first event in December 2019, at the Chapman Partnership for the Homeless shelter.
“I remember stacking the blocks of a Jenga tower with one of the kids at the shelter during the game night,” he says. “The look of joy on his face was everything.”
That was the moment he realized his role had to be more than donating supplies, it was about interacting with kids.
Suarez and the rest of the Together Strong team have organized annual toy drives for children at Chapman Partnership, Kristi House, and Lotus House. They also partnered with Soles for Souls to help families in Honduras after Hurricane ETA, providing them with clothing and medical supplies.
“We can’t do it alone, so we have involved students at my high school, friends, and local businesses,” he says.
To Suarez, the most important part of the equation is not only giving back to the community but also involving the community.
“It’s a team effort.”
Even though he has now graduated, the foundation will continue.
“My sister and I plan to work together to continue our foundation and even further its volunteering outreach to Dartmouth College.”
At school, Suarez was a member of the National Honor Society, the Cum Laude Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Mu Alpha Theta and the Science National Honor Society. He was a member as well of the Student Athlete Leadership Council.
He also worked with a fellow student to co-found the Gulliver National Business Honor Society, as well as serving as its vice president.
“I have a profound interest in business and finance,” he says.
He also shows particular interest in the medical field. He believes both career opportunities can serve as an avenue to help the community.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
