November 2019

Yamely Gonzalez, Florida International University, Graduated 2018

Major: Finance

Career Goals: I aspire to obtain my master’s degree and to get the Certified Financial Planner
designation. I aim to become a Certified Financial Planner/Financial Advisor in the future.

Biggest surprise about the college experience: The coursework throughout college was strenuous at
times. There are many circumstances where a study group is extremely helpful. It is essential to create
great connections in college because these individuals may lead you to great opportunities in the future.
Most challenging coursework in college: I had a difficult time with my Accounting and Financial
Analytics courses.

Accomplishment most proud of: I graduated cum laude, which I am proud of. I also had the opportunity
to work with the MPAS program at FIU, which was a great opportunity.

Can you provide any advice to our current Knights? I advise students to retain the information they
learn throughout their years. I recommend that they apply for every scholarship they have the chance to
apply to. I suggest that students research the colleges they plan to attend and also the career they’re
aiming towards, especially any requirements that the specific career entails. It is a great idea to
participate in internships throughout college, even if they are unpaid. Experience is just as important as
education.

I paid for college with…: the help of the FIU MPAS scholarship and a Bright Futures scholarship. The
MPAS scholarship had a minimum GPA requirement, minimum credit per semester requirement, and a
required number of hours and mandatory attendance workshops provided by the school.

Fondest memory from high school: I am extremely grateful for all the teachers that helped me from
middle to high school. I admire Mr. Milian for always hassling us to submit applications for scholarships,
exams, or college itself. I have heard stories of many other schools, but no advisor compares to him. I
only had Ms. Prieto for one class, and I will never forget her. She opened my curiosity and intrigue I had
for mathematics. Mr. Kearns kept my engine going and was such a sweetheart with anything we
needed. Ms. Llanes, as we all know, has always had her door open for anyone that needed any
company. There are plenty of other instructors and circumstances that I should mention; however, I do
not want to take too much space! This school has an amazing team that is constantly working towards
bettering the lives and future paths of their students. I commend all the teachers/counselors that are at
Jose Marti MAST and the amazing team Mr. Enriquez has working with him. My time at this school was
extremely memorable and I hope it will be the same for the rest. Keep your heads up! Maintain a
positive outlook! You will do great things in life. Be relentless! “... life is 10% what happens to [you] and
90% how you react to it.” - Charles R. Swindoll

High School Graduation Date: June 1, 2015 – The Founding Class of Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy