New Scholarship Honors Fallen Firefighter Trainee
Miami-Dade College continues the program to support aspiring firefighters while raising awareness about road safety.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Scholarships
Aspiring firefighters at Miami-Dade College are receiving support through a new scholarship honoring Ezekiel Urrutia, a 23-year-old paramedic who died in a 2025 crash. The college and the Urrutia family established the fund alongside a memorial van designed to raise awareness about impaired driving.
Why it matters
The program provides a pathway for students pursuing fire-rescue careers while turning the memory of a local loss into a public safety campaign against impaired driving. It highlights how community partnerships can address both financial barriers in education and critical road safety issues.
The initiative follows a fatal 2025 crash that resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for the driver, Sunshine Perez. The Zeke Urrutia Firefighter Scholarship has now recognized recipients in both 2025 and 2026.
The players
Miami-Dade College
The institution administering the firefighter scholarship and the memorial awareness program.
Ezekiel Urrutia
A 23-year-old paramedic and Florida International University graduate honored by the memorial scholarship.
Sunshine Perez
The driver sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the January 2025 fatal crash.
The details
The scholarship is administered by Miami-Dade College in collaboration with the Urrutia family to support students entering the firefighting profession. Alongside the academic aid, the college has unveiled a memorial van to educate the community on the dangers of impaired driving. The most recent award ceremony for the program took place on October 27, 2026.
Timeline
January 9, 2025: Ezekiel Urrutia killed in a wrong-way crash.
July 2025: Sunshine Perez sentenced to 20 years for the crash.
September 11, 2025: First scholarship recipient received the award.
October 27, 2026: Award ceremony for the second scholarship recipient.
Beyond the 305
The scholarship honors the memory of a victim of the 2025 Turnpike Extension wrong-way crash. It transforms the legacy of that tragic event into a proactive model for public safety and educational support.
Students pursuing fire-rescue certifications can look to the Zeke Urrutia Firefighter Scholarship for future financial assistance. The community can expect to see the memorial van at local events focused on impaired driving awareness.
The takeaway
The scholarship provides a path for aspiring firefighters while keeping a focus on the prevention of impaired driving in our county. Watch for future college announcements regarding scholarship windows for the next academic cycle.
Further reading
Learn more about local educational opportunities through the Miami scholarships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale.
