​Maribel Lena Memorial Scholarship Fund

The South Florida Chapter of Women in Transportation (WTS) and The Brand Advocates, Inc. have established a college scholarship fund for women interested in careers in transportation. The scholarship honors Maribel Ortiz Lena, a 30-year Florida Department of Transportation employee, responsible for educating the public about roadway safety and served as the agency's District Six Public Information Officer. Ms. Lena was killed in a car accident on her way to a press conference in June. The fund provides scholarships in the amount of $5,000 to women pursuing educations and careers in transportation at Florida colleges or universities. Scholarships are awarded annually in June. Members of The Brand Advocates team worked with Ms. Lena for over 10 years on various District roadway projects. Scholarship applications will be judged by a committee convened by the WTS South Florida Chapter. 

The Brand Advocates Academy Summer Internship Program

As part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Summer Youth Internship Program, we host high school interns each summer. Sponsored by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Foundation for New Education Initiatives and The Children’s Trust, the program provides high schools with hands-on internship opportunities to enhance their skills in communications, PR and outreach.

"Being an intern for the Brand Advocates was a truly eye-opening experience in an excellent workplace environment,” said Tyreeka Johnson, a senior at Miami Central Senior High School. “I've learned so much about public relations and how the media operates. I also met some amazing members of the media through this experience that I would not have connected with otherwise.”

"We were thrilled to create this learning experience for our interns. This was a win-win. We will participate in the program again in 2017  and look forward to developing a growing network of future communications professionals," said Managing Partner Courtney Cunningham. 

During the five-week paid internship, the students accumulated 150 hours of experience.  The Brand Advocates coordinated weekly outings for the interns that allowed them to get exposure to opportunities in the communications field including a lunch session with local news reporter, Terrell Forney, a tour of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) Traffic Management Center and a behind-the-scenes look at how a local newscast is produced at WPLG Channel 10.

“The Brand Advocates Academy wasn't just an internship but also an experience of collaboration, responsibility and dedication,” said Jorge Torres, a senior at Felix Varela Senior High School. “It was a great place to learn lessons from true professionals. I picked up important lessons and it was a priceless experience.”

Each intern received a new laptop, backpacks and other back-to-school gear as part of the internship. For more information on The Brand Advocates Academy, please contact Myrick Mitchell at myrick@thebrandadvocates.com.