South Florida

FIU Welcomes Over 200 Students from Hurricane-Ravaged PR

It’s been months since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. It destroyed homes and forced people to leave everything they know.

But on Wednesday, college students from the island are now one step closer to normalcy, as they prepare to start school in South Florida.

Grecia Cruz and over 200 other students from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are getting a chance to continue their college education through FIU.

“It’s really big and it’s really clean. It’s like a happy environment,” said Cruz.

“We invited them here for a semester to take classes while their universities are recovering from Hurricane Maria,” said Jody Glassman, the Director of Undergraduate Admissions for FIU.

Wednesday’s orientation is a part of FIU’s ongoing effort to support students affected by the devastating hurricane season. The university is able to fund the program for the students through grant money. They were also able to provide housing for some students.

“We want to make sure that they have their opportunity to continue their education,” said Glassman. “We are not going to leave them behind.”

For Cruz and her mother, the opportunity to continue her education means a lot and will play a major role in her future.

“I hope that she could make it here at FIU. We are grateful for the university to receive visitors from Puerto Rico,” said Dr. Daisy Goytia, Cruz’s mother.

“There are so many opportunities, so many experiences that I really want to take advantage of,” said Cruz.

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