Scholarship Honors MDC Fire Academy Alumnus Killed In Wrong-Way Crash
The family of a Miami Dade College Fire Academy graduate who died in a car crash set up a scholarship to honor his legacy.
Ezequiel “Zeke” Urrutia, who received his firefighter certification from North Campus in December of 2020, was killed on Jan. 9, when a woman driving an SUV in the wrong direction collided with his vehicle on the Florida Turnpike in Miramar.
Two weeks later, the 23-year-old’s parents, Frank and Tiffany Urrutia, created the Zeke Urrutia Firefighter Scholarship.
The MDC Foundation is accepting donations to support and establish the scholarship’s endowment. Thus far, more than $47,000 of the $100,000 goal have been raised.
“Even after my wife and I are no longer on this planet, our son’s legacy scholarship will continue to give people the opportunity to take the training free of charge and get them to save lives,” Frank said.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to one student. It will cover tuition and fees at the Fire Academy. Applications will be accepted starting this summer.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need and submit an essay answering the prompt: “What inspires you to become a firefighter?”
Zeke’s inspiration to become a firefighter was evident since preschool.
“They asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he put fireman,” Frank said. “He always wanted to save lives.”
That childhood ambition led Zeke to enroll at the MDC Fire Academy at North Campus after he graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School in 2020.
Like all students at the time, Zeke wore a mask because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the face mask was unable to contain his excitement for the profession he was preparing for.
“That smile shone through all of that,” said Karls Paul-Noel, director of the MDC Fire Academy. “It said to me this was a person who had found his purpose.”
After earning his firefighter certification, Zeke continued his training at the American Medical Academy Paramedic School, becoming a certified paramedic. He was working full-time at MCT Express Ambulance Service.
To donate to the scholarship fund, visit https://tinyurl.com/mrpzdct9.
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