Three months after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico and left his Trujillo Alto neighborhood with no power, Gabriel Negrón Feliciano decided it was time to move on.

On Dec. 19, the 21-year-old moved to Miami.

Today, Negrón Feliciano is a freshman at Kendall Campus, working toward his associate in arts degree in theatre and drama.

“I saw it as a great opportunity because I have family over here,” Negrón Feliciano said. “I just decided that I wanted the change and I made the move.”

Negrón Feliciano is one of 60 Puerto Rican students enrolled at Miami Dade College during the spring term. The spring semester saw the Puerto Rican student population increase by five times compared to the fall term.

The jump is a direct impact from the damage Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, caused in Puerto Rico.

As a result, Miami Dade College decided to assist those affected by the storm. The College is providing them with free in-state tuition and $1,000 vouchers for books and supplies. The College’s support is largely due to a $250,000 donation by the Knight Foundation, enabling MDC to provide the students with the resources.

Students like Negrón Feliciano say they are grateful for the support. Although the storm didn’t affect him as hard as others—his mother was able to provide for his family through work at a veterans’ affairs hospital—it did leave him without power for two and a half months and his education aspirations in limbo.

“[Maria] basically stopped the whole island,” Negrón Feliciano said.

That stoppage included the University of Puerto Rico, Negrón Feliciano’s former school. With damage to the school’s campuses forcing it to close, Negron was faced with the prospect of having to postpone his education until MDC signaled their willingness to help.

Each MDC campus has assigned an advisor to deal directly with displaced Puerto Rican students. The advisors will help with the enrollment process, school issues and counseling efforts to aid with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The College is also temporarily waiving requirements like transcripts and other documentation for six months that could’ve been lost in damaged homes. In addition, they are reimbursing students $250 for every three credits and covering all course fees.

“For you to be able to focus, to study, your needs have to be met to get to a certain level,” said Kathy Maalouf, the vice provost of student affairs at MDC. “We want them to feel safe, included with a sense of belonging, and supported.”

Negrón Feliciano said he has felt welcomed; he doesn’t plan to return to Puerto Rico.

“It’s only been a month, but I’m already feeling the positive changes in my life,” Negrón Feliciano said. “I’m grateful that MDC has opened its doors to us.”

Advisors For Displaced Puerto Rican Students:

North

Maria Del Rosario Gomez

mgomez3@mdc.edu

(305) 237-8227

Kendall

Sonia Delgado

sdelgado@mdc.edu

(305) 237-0963

Bienela Herrera

bherrera@mdc

(305) 237-0742

Wolfson

Isabel Martinez

imartine@mdc.ecu

(305) 237-3730

Michael Gonzalez

mgonza27@mdc.edu

(305) 237-7471

Medical

Denebola (Didi) Dopico

ddopico@mdc.edu

Marie Bernardin

mbernar1@mdc.edu

(305) 237-4049

Homestead

Anaeli Ramos

aramos4@mdc.edu

(305) 237-5075

InterAmerican

Ileana Deleonik

ideleoni@mdc.edu

(305) 237-6148

Hialeah

Jacob Shilts

jshilts@mdc.edu

(305) 237-8797

West

Veronica Gonzalez

vgonzal5@mdc.edu

(305) 237-7223

Rolando Rodriguez

rrodri19@mdc.edu

(305) 237-4957