Kamila Manzueta

Kamila Manzueta believes music is a universal language that can unite diverse cultures and spread peace. At FIU, she put her belief and passion into practice as the founder, director and arranger for HEARTbeats, an a cappella group that has performed at FIU commencement, as well as Honors College and Faculty Convocation. Most recently, she represented HEARTbeats at Carnegie Hall for the Total Vocal concert series.

Despite having a double major and two minors, Kamila found time last summer to travel to New York to attend the Next Level Seminar for Musical Directors as she prepared to record her group’s first album with The Vocal Company. She also worked with artist Randy Burman and the O’Miami Foundation to create “Poem to the Sky” at FIU’s Blue Garage, the only installation of its kind at any university in the U.S.

She was twice awarded an Outstanding Student Life Award and also was recognized by the Honors College with an Outstanding Citizenship Award. She has been on the dean’s list every semester and served as a peer instructor in the Honors College.

One of her greatest challenges was losing her high school mentor David Menasche, who died of brain cancer in 2014. His influence helped her learn to live every day to the fullest.

Kamila has been named a Pickering Fellowship finalist and hopes to enter graduate school at either Columbia University or George Mason University to study Latin America and the Caribbean and international security.

By Amy Ellis