Steven J. Green
School of International
& Public Affairs

The Omar K. Carrion Scholarship for Asian Studies was established through a $50,000 gift made by Hilda and Fernando Carrion, parents of Omar Carrion, as an endowment memorializing their son who passed away in 2013. The first Omar K. Carrion Scholarship will be awarded to a highly qualified undergraduate student in September 2015 during the Florida Japan Summit.

Omar Kahil Carrion was born January 28, 1985 in Miami, FL. He grew up in a tight-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 and extended family. He was always a happy child. His favorite hobbies were playing video games and playing outside with friends, especially baseball. His friends called him the “Number One Marlin’s Fan”.

Omar was also a bright student. He graduated high school in 2003 and immediately started classes at FIU. He grew a love for Japan and pursued his bachelor’s in Asian Studies. He gained new friends and experiences, like teaching English to students in Japan.

He was later hired by J. Silny and Associates as a Foreign Credential Advisor. He was thankful for his career but longed for something that he was always passionate about: filmmaking. He quit his job and followed his dreams. After he wrote and directed his own short film, he helped to create “Phyxius Pictures”. While filming with Phyxius Pictures, he wrote, directed, and edited a few short films and an episode.

Unfortunately, his dream was short lived. On March 2, 2013, Omar, who was on his way 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 hope this scholarship will inspire others to pursue their dreams no matter the obstacles.

Recipients

Geri Ross, 2015