$1M gift to Miami Dade College from beverage giant Diageo will fund endowment, boost aid to minority students
MIAMI -- A $1 million donation to Miami Dade College from Diageo North America that was announced earlier this month will fund a permanent endowment and provide financial aid to minority students.
The gift was announced during a joint event in which organizers said the funds are slated to help create a pipeline of students with an educational background that will prepare them for the workforce.
The fund will support deserving Black and Latino students who are in the Rising Black Scholars and Presidential Scholars programs.
The initiatives provide different scholarship opportunities, financial aid in the form of a stipend and other unique experiences and resources for qualified students in need.
"This partnership furthers our commitment to help shape a more equitable society, by addressing structural barriers, supporting talent pipelines and investing in colleges that are primarily serving underrepresented communities," said Stephanie Childs, executive vice president of Corporate Relations for Diageo North America. "We are proud to expand our program supporting higher education institutions and join forces with a college that shares our commitment to equity and inclusion."
Maimi-Dade College was the state's first integrated college in the 1960s.
According to college officials, Hispanic and Black students make up over 90 percent of the student population at MDC, and the fund will provide resources to help them pursue higher education.
"We are so grateful for this generous investment from Diageo North America," said Madeline Pumariega, president of the college. "MDC joins Diageo in prioritizing the creation and expansion of educational pathways that lead to high-paying in-demand jobs. Our partners are essential in carrying out this critical mission."
Diageo is a global liquor and spirts company whose brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.
