Honors College Menendez Computer Scholarship awardees
holding their laptops (from left to right): Andy Jean, Aliashagar Taqi and Jose Campins

JANUARY 15, 2009 (MIAMI) - Recently, three Honors College students were awarded the first annual Tony Menendez Computer Scholarships. The winners, first year students Jose Campins, Andy Jean, and Aliashgar Taqi, were each given a laptop computer based on their outstanding academic achievement in high school and financial need. The scholarship was made possible through a generous donation by the law firm Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff and Sitterson, PA., and is named in memory of attorney Tony Menendez.

Menendez was part of the class-action defense team that fought ExxonMobil on behalf of gas station owners who alleged that the oil company operated a fraudulent discount-for-cash program. Menendez, who dabbled in computer programming as a hobby, devised a program to decrypt gigabytes of unintelligible Exxon financial data files given to him by gas station owners as part of his legal investigative work. He diligently worked through the case while battling cancer. Sadly, he did not live to see his law firm's victory when it was awarded a record $249 million in attorney fees by a federal court in 2006. Law partner Gene Stearns said, "The Tony Menendez Computer Scholarship honors a dear friend and colleague in a very meaningful way. He would be proud that we are providing a tangible benefit in his name to young, energetic, and bright college students who may not have personal access to necessary computer technology."

Jose Campins graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in the top 2% of his class. He plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in Political Science and continue on to law school. Andy Jean comes to FIU from Miami's McArthur High School. "My ultimate goal is to work for airplane companies, and perhaps NASA, using the tools of math and kinematics to the benefit of aeronautical endeavors," Andy said when discussing his interest in engineering and mathematics. Aliasghar Taqi is a John A. Ferguson Senior High School graduate and Superintendent’s Diploma of Distinction recipient who is working as a pharmacy technician while pursuing a nursing degree. He plans to get a master's degree in the field and possibly work in the non-for-profit sector.

For immediate release

CONTACT:    Juan Carlos Espinosa, The Honors College
(305-348-4100), espinosj@fiu.edu