Hialeah High School Class of 1960


Jeff Giordano Memorial Scholarship

How to Donate

Recipients

6/15/08 - HHS Class of ‘60 – Jeff Giordano Scholarship Fund Update

Our three 2006/2007 scholarship recipients, Nicholas Duckardt, Lilibet Sosa and Mariela Benitez each made their grades last year, and re-enrolled in their respective schools for 2007/2008. They were consequently granted $1,000 each for 2007/2008; $500 for each semester. (Their pictures and bios are at the bottom of our Hialeah High School Class of 1960 website maintained by John Burkowski.)

Lilibet Sosa continues at the University of Miami as a pre-med major, and still plans to enroll in medical school upon graduation. She made her grades for the fall term, re-enrolled for spring, and was awarded an additional $500.

Mariela Benitez continues at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, pursuing a double major of Psychology and Photography. She also made her grades for the fall term, re-enrolled for spring, and was awarded an additional $500.

Nicholas Duckardt continues his studies at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. He also made his grades for the fall term. However, in speaking with him about his scholarship for spring, he informed me that he had received so much financial assistance that he wished to forgo accepting anything further from our scholarship fund. He genuinely wanted us to have the ability to help someone else who needed it more; I thought this spoke volumes about the character of one of our first recipients.

Nick is currently (Aug. 2009) appearing in Matthew Lopez's play "The Whipping Man" at Boca Raton's Caldwell Theatre Company and getting great reviews.

Robert Weintraub is the current Development Office with the Dade Community Foundation, the institution that administers our College Assistance Program “HHS Class of ’60 – Giordano Scholarship Fund”. He informs me that as of May, 2008, after disbursements to Lilibet and Mariela for spring, our balance stands at $2,225.
I propose that if the two recipients retain their eligibility, we award the remainder evenly between them ($1,112.50 each). We will discuss this decision at our Sunday morning meeting on June 22nd.

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Lilibet Sosa

 

Lilibet Sosa will be attending the University of Miami and studying to be a doctor.

Background: Lilibet came to America with her mother (her father died ten years ago) from a Latin American country only a year ago. She promised her mother she would learn English as fast as she could and become someone important in the future. She has graduated in the top ten percent of her class with a 4.415 weighted GPA having taken honors and Advanced Placement classes. The promise about learning English certainly has been kept and the promise to become someone important looks very promising.

She was awarded the George E. Merrick Scholarship by the University of Miami and other grants and the Jeff Giordano Memorial Scholarship will help her reach the amount she will need to enroll at the UM.

Following graduation from the University of Miami, she plans to enroll at the Miller School of Medicine and get her M.D.

Jeff Giordano HHS Class of '60 Scholarship Recipient News

Dear Cyberbreds,

Our Jeff Giordano HHS Class of '60 Scholarship Fund is down to only one recipient, but she is a winner! Her name is Lilibet Sosa and she expects to graduate from the University of Miami in December of this year. Upon graduation she plans to enroll in a new duel graduate degree program scheduled to commence in 2011. She intends to work toward both an MD and a PhD in Medical History! Please view her recent letter to me below, along with a photo.

We have been assisting her with $500 per term since she enrolled at UM in 2006. Her overall GPA is 3.235. I told her if she is successful in gaining admission to graduate school, we would continue to award her $500 per term until our funds run out. We currently have a balance in our CAP HHS 60 account of $2425 with the Dade Community Foundation, which means we can help Lily in the Fall, and for four more semesters after that.

This scholarship project continues to honor Jeff's memory in a way that would make him very happy, and for which we should all feel a measure of pride; especially Nan and Jeff’s family.

Update: From Phil (2/4/11) “Lilibet Sosa, our only remaining Jeff Giordano Scholarship recipient graduated from The University of Miami in December with dual Majors in Biology and History. She did not enroll this term while she studies for the GRE and GACE (Georgia Assessment Test). It is her intention to enroll in graduate school next semester, at which time we will renew her award.”

Philip Giberson
Philipg1942@bellsouth.net

 

Mr. Giberson!

I am very glad to hear from you!!

I apologize for the late response, during summer everything slows down so I dont check email as often.
I have been meaning to update you as per everything that's going with my career. I am glad to hear I'm the one student that continues to be benefited from the scholarship, its a great honor and I would love to continue being a recipient until possible.
I have decided to postpone my graduation till December 2010, the reason is because I've added something for my career that will require me to take extra classes. I still plan on attending Medical School, but also, I am applying to dual degree programs which are M.D./Ph.D. programs to start on 2011, hopefully to obtain my MD degree while at the same time obtaining a Ph.D. on the History of Medicine. I have added History as a second major, and ever since I entered UM I've loved it, so I decided that that was a field that I would love to study. Therefore currently, I am enrolled for next fall. I attached my transcript, class schedule, and a couple of pictures. I could take one next to a UM main sign without problem this weekend if you would like one, I attached some that I had anyways for you to use withever one works best. Once again, I would like to thank you incredibly for your help. Hialeah High Class of '60 has been such a relief for myself as well as for my mother and I have to thank you for your continued support throughout my college years. Thanks to your support I have been able to use those funds for books and school expenses, not having to work extra and alotting me time to concentrate more in my classes. I appreciate that I could always count on you, through the best semesters to the tougher ones, and in the ups and downs of college life. Also, thanks to the support, I have been able to expand my activites. I have been the president and founder of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Chapter at UM, for the past two years. I have done Cancer Research at Sylvester Cancer Center and also volunteering at Doctor's Hospital. I have to say, your help has allowed me to have the wonderful experience I have had in the University of Miami, and I think back to four years ago in Hialeah Sr. High and thank you for giving me the chance of becoming one of your scholarship recipients!

Also, if you would like me to write an official letter with an updated bio or official letterhead let me know, I would be more than glad to do anything I can to help you!

Once again,

Thank you so much for everything you've done!

Sincerely,

Lilibet Sosa
University of Miami
College of Arts of Science Class of 2010
Biology and History
Hispanic Scholarship Fund President
2008-2009 2009-2010
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.
Vice-President, Academic Chair, Secretary

Lilibet Sosa
University of Miami
College of Arts of Science Class of 2010
Biology and History
Hispanic Scholarship Fund President
2008-2009 2009-2010
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.
Vice-President, Academic Chair, Secretary

 

 

 

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Nick Duckardt

 

Nicholas Duchardt. Our first and ongoing scholarship recipient. He is transferring as a junior to SMU after two years at MDCC.

In a letter to Phillip Giberson Nicholas Duchardt describes what the Jeff Giordano Memorial Scholarship means to him:

To Mr. Philip Giberson on behalf of the HHS Class of '60 Giordano Scholarship.

My senior year in high school, I was struggling to earn any form of financial aid towards continuing my eduction at the collegiate level. No college had any interest in giving me any form of aid based on the "conclusion" that my parents made enough money because they both maintained jobs. However, they showed no regards towards the fact that my father declared bankruptcy and had just begun the remission stage of a long battle with prostate cancer. I had been fortunate enough to win awards throughout high school, which put me at a somewhat disadvantage. "Nick Duckardt doesnt need help from us. He's a big shot. Someone will help him." No one was willing to help. Except for the Giordano Class of '60 Scholarship. You gave me a second chance, and really listened to Nick Duckardt the person, not Nick Duckardt the high school transcript and FAFSA applicant. Words cannot describe how appreciative I am that you gave me that chance. It is because of you that I have been able to continue to work towards obtaining my BFA in Theatre at Southern Methodist University with a sense of security. The HHS Class of '60 Giordano Scholarship program is a program that is truly meant to help those in need, and it gives me great pride to have been one of the first recipients, as well as being blessed enough to continue being a part of the program. I look forward to seeng other students, such as myself, who will be given a second chance, just as I was. God Bless you, and Thank You. From the absolute bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!


Nick Duckardt
HHS Class of '60 Giordano Scholrship Recipient
HHS Alumni, Class of 2004

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Mariela E. Benitez

Mariela E. Benitez

 

Mariela E. Benitez will be attending Ball State University, majoring in Child Psychology and persuing a double minor in Photograhy and Foreign Languages.

Background:

Mariela is the embodiment of a "Renaissance Woman". While attending Hialeah High School she excelled in academics, athletics, cheerleading, and community service.

As a member of the Hialeah High school Woman's Soccer team she learned the value of discipline, trust, loyalty, respect and as she declares, "what true sportsmanship is and what teammates are all about".

Dedication to service was a very important part of her life at Hialeah HS where as a member of such organizations as the Best Buddies Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, and the Cultural Arts Club she organized parties for ESE students, set up for the Special Olympics, served as tutor for her peers, and provided programs and taught English to senior citizens. Her service activities didn't stop at the school bell. As a member of her church's Youth Group she visited orphanages, and was instrumental in creating a project known as "Baby Miricle" where the group "adopted" pregnant women and provided them with moral, spiritual, mental, and finacial support so they would be encouraged to carry the pregnancy to term and provide the best possible care for their newborn child.

With her alturistic attitude and willingness to expand her horizens Mariea intends to be as great a resource as possible in order to serve those who need her skills the most.

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HHS '60 Jeff Giordano Scholarship Fund.

Phil will be getting responses from those who have been helped through this program and the responses will be posted on the STNY web page. All contributions will be tax deductible and checks should be made out to:
"College Assistance Program, Inc."
with a notation in the memo portion of the check:
"HHS '60 - Jeff Giordano Fund"
Donations should be sent to:
Philip Giberson
570 Glen Way
Miami Springs, FL 33166
Checks received will be consolidated and deposited with Janell Benzaquen, Development Officer, Dade Community Foundation, who administers the C.A.P., Inc fund. The donor will subsequently receive from C.A.P., Inc. an acknowledgement of their tax-deductable scholarship donation.

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Last updated: July 28, 2012