Jean-Claude Garcia-Zamor
Professor Continues to Give, Provides Hope through Scholarship
FIU professor and Haitian native Jean-Claude Garcia-Zamor, PhD unfortunately sees the evidence of his homeland’s poverty affecting the lives of his Miami students all too often. Many of them are recent immigrants who juggle jobs and school, and struggle to pay tuition – a reality that resonates with him and a challenge he hopes to help tackle.
“Over the years at FIU, enrollment of Haitian students has grown drastically, and so has the need for scholarship funding,” said Garcia-Zamor, professor in the Department of Public Administration of the College of Arts & Sciences.
To help fill this need, he established the Jean-Claude Garcia-Zamor Haitian-American Scholarship. For over a decade, the scholarship has been a beacon of hope for more than 30 Haitian-American students by providing critical financial aid. To the recipients of this scholarship, this gift means everything.
“The scholarship not only allows me to continue my studies without the burden of having to work multiple jobs, but it has given me the foundation I needed to continue to excel in school by connecting me to the FIU Haitian-American community. This has united us for life, and allows us to lean on each other,” said sophomore Cassandre Joseph. “I am able to live on campus, and by extension, become more active in student organizations. Dr. Garcia-Zamor has led by example, and I would not be here today without his generosity.”
Practicing what he teaches is exactly what Garcia- Zamor does. In his classes, he always stresses the importance of sharing the fruits of success, financial or otherwise, with one’s community.
“If you are preaching ethics, you have to be a model,” he said. “You have to put your money where your mouth is.”
After serving FIU for more than 25 years, Garcia-Zamor considered ways to make his donation really count. To ensure that the scholarship will continue to benefit future FIU Haitian-American students for decades to come, the professor decided to increase his endowed scholarship with a $152,000 planned gift. For Garcia-Zamor, the students he is able to help succeed are our future. “I did this for the students. Their happiness means everything to me,” he said.
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