Miami Women Fund $409K in Scholarships for 92 Girls

For Anaissa Gustinvie, born in Haiti and now living in Miami, a Catholic high school education seemed out of reach for her single mother. Then the Miami Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women stepped in with a $4,000 scholarship, opening doors to her dream of becoming a doctor who serves Haiti through mission work.

The organization held its 27th annual scholarship luncheon in February 2026 at Miami Shores Country Club, continuing a tradition that has changed lives for nearly three decades. Since 1997, the Lucy Petrillo Scholarship Award has distributed $409,000 to 92 young women who needed financial help to attend Catholic high schools.

This year, seven eighth-grade girls received the scholarships after submitting essays explaining why Catholic education matters to them. Thirty-eight students applied, and school principals selected recipients based on financial need, grades, and church involvement.

The scholarship covers a significant portion of first-year tuition, with additional funding from the Step Up for Students Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program helping complete the picture. Each winner receives $4,000 to begin their high school journey.

The students come from schools across the Miami area, including St. Rose of Lima, St. James, Annunciation, and Holy Rosary/St. Richard. They'll attend schools like Msgr. Edward Pace High School and Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School.

"Catholic education is not about convenience, but commitment," said Dr. Denise Aloma, principal of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and this year's honoree. She knows firsthand how transformative these opportunities can be, having been inspired by her own principal in Jamaica who told her Catholic education was sacred work.

The Ripple Effect

The scholarship does more than cover tuition. It creates pathways for young women who might otherwise miss the chance to attend schools where faith and academics strengthen each other.

Mary Weber, who chairs the scholarship committee, and the entire MACCW organization raise funds year-round to make these awards possible. Money raised at the February luncheon will fund the 2026 scholarships, which will be awarded at an event in May.

The scholarship was renamed in 2015 to honor Lucy Petrillo, a founding member and longtime chair of the scholarship committee who believed every girl deserved access to quality Catholic education. Her legacy continues through each recipient who walks through high school doors that might have stayed closed.

For students like Anaissa, the scholarship represents more than financial help. It represents belief in their potential and investment in their future dreams of service.