GABRIELAAVILAVALBUENA

Gabriela Avila Valbuena participated in aChinese study abroad program in Xuzhou ,while completing her Associate at MiamiDade College. The experience gave herenough confidence to apply for anotherstudy abroad program once becoming an FIUstudent; this time in Japan, she spent her spring semester in the city of Chiba, at KandaUniversity of International Studies. Her timein the program inspired her to broaden herhorizons, and she is now consideringpursuing graduate school and the JETprogram in the near future, while continuingwith her Asian language and cultural studies.

JUSTIN RAYMONDHERNANDEZ2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 R u n n e r - u p

Justin Raymond Hernandez is a dual major in AsianStudies and Latin American & Caribbean Studies, aswell as a minor in Geography. His coursework haspredominately focused on politics, internationalrelations, as well as Asian language and Culture. In theSummer of 2018, with the help of a Fu FoundationScholarship, he had the chance to visit Thailand,Vietnam and Cambodia as part of the Honors College.This was followed by a five-month exchange in the Fall at Kansai-Gaidai University in Japan. Both experienceswere immersive and enlightening, furthering his will tobridge Asia, Latin America and the United States.

Congratulations to the 2019-2020Omar K. Carrion Award Winners

in the Asian Studies Program in the Green School!

The main recipient of the 2019-2020 Omar K. Carrion Scholarship

The Omar K. Carrion Scholarship for Asian Studies was established through a generous giftmade by Hilda and Fernando Carrion, parents of Omar Carrion, as an endowmentmemorializing their son who passed away in 2013. This year we are awarding one main winnerand one runner-up.

OMAR KAHIL CARRIONSCHOLARSHIPH i s t o r y o f t h e A w a r d

FIU and Asian Studies Program alumnus Omar Kahil Carrion, 30, passed away onMarch 2, 2013, after he was the victim of a fatal car accident. Omar was a very brightand vibrant young man who majored in Asian Studies with a concentration inJapanese Studies. Omar was born January 28, 1985 in Miami, FL. He grew up in atight-knit family with his mother, Hilda, father, Fernando, and his younger sister,Tatiana. He was a family guy, and had a great relationship with his parents, sister andextended family. He was always a happy child. His favorite hobbies were playingvideo games and playing outside with friends, especially baseball. His friends calledhim the “Number One Marlin’s Fan.” Omar graduated high school in 2003 and immediately started classes at FIU. He grewa love for Japan and pursued his bachelor’s in Asian Studies. He gained new friendsand experiences, like teaching English to students in Japan. In the summer of 2005,Omar participated in a study abroad program to Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. He eventually graduated in 2007 and taught English to children in Kitakyūshū, Japanfor a short time. Once he arrived back in Miami, he was hired by J. Silny andAssociates as a Foreign Credential Advisor and degree evaluator, where he worked forfive years. He was thankful for his career but longed for something that he was alwayspassionate about: filmmaking. As a result, he decided to pursue his passion infilmmaking and started the production company “Phyxius Pictures” with two friends.While filming with Phyxius Pictures, he wrote, directed, and edited a few short filmsand an episode. Omar was loved and cherished by his family, friends and co-workers.Those who were blessed to have known him will always remember him for hiswonderful smile and his boisterous laugh, as well as his love for films and Japan. Unfortunately, his dream was short lived. On March 2, 2013, Omar, who was on hisway to play baseball with friends at Tropical Park, was hit by a drunk/drugged driver.He was killed instantly. His family misses him every day, and as a way of honoringtheir son, the Carrion family has given a donation to FIU to provide a scholarship thatwill inspire others to pursue their dreams no matter the obstacles. Asian StudiesGraduate student, Gabriela Romeu, who knew Omar for eight years and regarded himas a brother, dedicated her M.A. thesis, “The Japanese History Textbook ControversyAmid Post-War Sino-Japanese Relation,” to his memory: “I dedicate this work to myfriend, Omar Carrion, who sadly and tragically left this world before I finished. I hopethat your passion for Japan can live through me as you watch from the other side.”