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Alejandro Fayad, a young Cuban who arrived in the United States three years ago after crossing the border from Mexico at just 15 years old, has been awarded a full scholarship to study at Princeton University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world and a member of the Ivy League.
Alejandro shared his story with CiberCuba in the first person: "I arrived in the United States from Cuba about three years ago, after crossing the border into Mexico with my parents and my younger sister. At that time, I was only 15 years old."
The journey did not start easily. After crossing the border, he was separated from his family and spent several days in a detention center. "That experience marked the beginning of a new life for me," he recounted.
Upon arriving in Miami, the language was the first obstacle. "When I got to Miami, I hardly understood any English. At Miami Killian Senior High School, I struggled to keep up with the classes; I felt lost and often thought I was far behind compared to the other students. However, I decided to turn those difficulties into motivation to move forward."
This determination led him to the Honors College at Miami Dade College, where he maintains a 4.0 GPA while studying Economics with a secondary concentration in Business Administration.
During his time at Miami Dade College, Alejandro participated in academic research on the housing crisis in South Florida and the economic impact of deportations on the local economy, as well as competing at the state and national levels in Future Business Leaders of America.
Among their recognitions is the Hites Transfer Scholarship awarded by Phi Theta Kappa, one of the most competitive scholarships for community college students in the United States: it selects only 20 students out of nearly 2,800 national applicants.
His destination this fall is Princeton, a private university founded in 1746 with an endowment exceeding $34 billion, ranked seventh in the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2025. There, he will continue his studies in Economics with a scholarship that covers all tuition expenses.
The story of Alejandro has an additional element that enhances its symbolic value. His friend David, with whom he studied at the same pre-university in Cuba and now shares the Honors College at Miami Dade College, will continue his studies this fall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Two young Cubans who left the island together will be joining two of the most demanding universities in the world this year.
Alejandro's case is part of the largest Cuban migration wave in recent history. In 2022 alone, there were 220,000 encounters of Cubans with the Border Patrol, a figure that escalated to 484,000 in 2023. Thousands of families with minors faced separations and detentions in border centers during that period.
The Honors College at Miami Dade College, nicknamed "Ivy Stepladder" by Time magazine, has been a stepping stone for many of those young people.
In 2021, its students received over 650 admissions to top-tier universities and more than ten million dollars in scholarships, with 96% of graduates completing their transfer university.
Alejandro summed up the meaning of his achievement with words that go beyond individual merit: "For me, this opportunity represents much more than an academic accomplishment."
"It represents the sacrifice of my parents, the difficulties we faced in starting a new life in another country, and the conviction that effort can change a person's destiny."
About him and his friend David, the young Cuban who arrived without knowing English concluded: "Seeing how two students who started together in Cuba now have such great opportunities in the United States fills us with pride and hope."
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