We know there are many Gator success stories in our community, but Kimberly Castillo's story is one for the books. After completing her undergraduate degree in Management from UHD's Marilyn Davies College of Business, the first-generation Gator is on her way to receiving an MBA in Finance.
"Through Kimberly's leadership as past President of UHD's Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) chapter, the student organization received the prestigious Central Regional Chapter of the Year Award," said Maxine Todd, MDCOB Assistant Director of Career Services. "As a first-gen student born in Mexico, Kimberly overcame unique obstacles, yet demonstrated resilience in the face of academic and professional challenges."
What makes Kimberly's story unique? She received a scholarship from Enbridge, a valued member of MDCOB's Business Career Center Employer Partnership Program. "The program allows employers to engage and support our efforts to serve our students more deeply." said Brett Hobby, Director of MDCOB Business Career Center.
"Winning the Enbridge scholarship has been transformative," said Castillo. "Despite the challenges of multiple jobs and limited study time, the Enbridge Scholarship empowered me to reach my full potential and allowed me to gain an incredible wealth of knowledge and professional experience. It not only removed financial barriers but also opened doors to a brighter future," said Castillo.
And Enbridge's impact does not stop there. In 2021, the company gifted UHD with a $20,000 employee partnership, and recently gifted another $30,000 to MDCOB's Business Career Center. "Not only does the new Enbridge Gift provide $10,000 in scholarships for our students in both business and technology over the next two years, the additional $20,000 will support and positively impact our student workshops, networking events, online career resources, and other events that foster career development," said Todd.
Because of the college's innovative Business Career Center Employer Partnership program, students like Kimberly Castillo are granted life-altering opportunities, and in her words, "set on a path to success." Now, students can follow in Castillo's footsteps and create their own Gator success story.