Four $10,000 Milken Scholars Awards Go to Standout Washington, D.C., Students

Published 06/10/2025 in Program Updates

Written 06/10/2025

2025 class members embody “Lifelong Leaders for a Better World”

Santa Monica, Calif., (June 10, 2025) — Today, four exceptional Washington, D.C., high school seniors have been announced as 2025 Milken Scholars, gaining a multitude of cheerleaders and a lifetime of support in college, career and life. The scholarship Program, a joint initiative of the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation, honors high school seniors in Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles County each year with a $10,000 cash prize and lifelong access to college advising, career counseling, internship assistance, community service opportunities, and a fund to help with graduate school applications, unpaid internships, study abroad programs, and other costs associated with their pursuit of a career.

The 2025 Washington, D.C., Milken Scholars are: 

• Alina Calix-Martinez, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Brown University
• Preston Drake, British International School of Washington, The University of Chicago
• Victoria Presentado, St. John’s College High School, Emory University
• Miqueas Ramirez De La Rosa, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Duke University

A photo and biography are provided for each student below. Photos courtesy of the Milken Family Foundation.

The Milken Scholars Program was established in 1989 by Mike and Lori Milken. After completing a rigorous nomination, application and interview process, Milken Scholars are selected based on academic performance, community service, leadership, and their ability to persevere in the face of personal challenges. Past recipients include inaugural poet Amanda Gorman; Ruben Harutunian, treasurer of the board of the Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt and minister-counselor for public diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo; Dr. Joelle Simpson, chief of emergency medicine at Children’s National Hospital; and award-winning entrepreneur Emanuel Yekutiel.

“Lori and I are sincerely heartened by the nearly 600 Milken Scholars over the past 35 years whose dedication and pursuit of excellence embody the program’s mission of inspiring Lifelong Leaders for a Better World,” said Mike Milken.

The Washington, D.C., Milken Scholar Alumni and community members will gather later this month to celebrate the 2025 D.C. Scholars at an annual Recognition Ceremony. In July, they will attend a three-day summit in Los Angeles with fellow 2025 Milken Scholars from New York City and Los Angeles County, as well as undergraduates and alumni facilitators in fields across all industries. Students gain insight and guidance from speakers, panels and activities while discussing the Summit theme, Toward a Flourishing Future, and learning more about the support structure they will receive throughout their college careers and beyond. Access to such resources creates a setting that propels these exceptional youth into a position where they can achieve their personal, academic and professional goals and, in the process, become “Lifelong Leaders for a Better World.”

Mike and Lori Milken founded the Milken Scholars Program to promote and assist exceptional youth as they navigate the transitions from high school to college and from college to graduate school or the world of work. As of 2025, the program reaches nearly 600 students representing more than 80 countries of origin since its first 1989 class.

Milken Scholars represent a variety of backgrounds, experiences and academic and professional interests, and are admitted to top colleges and universities. Twenty-four percent were born outside the U.S. and 78% have parents originating from over 80 countries. More than half are among the first generation in their family to attend college, while 46% are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S. The class of 2025 is one of the most diverse yet, representing 16 countries spanning North America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America, West Africa, Northeast Africa, the Middle East, Northern Eurasia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.

MEET THE 2025 D.C. MILKEN SCHOLARS

Alina Calix-Martinez
Brown University

As the daughter of a single-mother and Honduran immigrant, Alina Calix-Martinez is no stranger to the complexities of language. She is editor-in-chief of The Wicket, her school newspaper, overseeing over 30 student writers and empowering them to harness language to create change. Her passion for language propels her to write complex articles, from using her experiences to advocate for socioeconomic diversity in higher education to covering gun-control and immigration policy. As a Georgetown Visitation Admissions ambassador, Alina provides bilingual tours to prospective students and parents, drawing on her experience as a member of an underrepresented population at a private, Catholic high school.

Alina is a QuestBridge Match. She received the College Board National Hispanic Recognition, the College Board First-Generation Recognition, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Green L. Leadership Award to attend a journalism program. As co-president of Vamos! Tutoring, she works with underserved, Spanish-speaking K-8 students and doubled tutorship participation from approximately 45 tutors to 90 tutors. For this, she received a Co-Curricular Excellence Award for Leadership two years in a row. As a Catholic Charities Student Service Leadership Fellow, she completed service projects at various Catholic Charities locations.

Using her entrepreneurial spirit, Alina founded a dog-walking business five years ago, engaging with her community and caring for the pets entrusted to her. She founded and owns Mirrorball Slimes, a successful, creative endeavor to market her own slime products at various in-person events.

Alina will study philosophy at Brown University and plans a career in journalism.

Preston Drake
The University of Chicago

Preston Drake has lived everywhere from Maryland to Moscow. Following multiple military deployment orders with her family, she has learned to navigate complex changes in language, scenery, government and culture. Rather than being bogged down by these shifting circumstances, she approaches the changes with curiosity and enthusiasm. These qualities have allowed her to maintain a rigorous IB courseload, self-study for the SAT, captain the co-ed volleyball team, and take lead roles in school plays.

Leveraging her diverse lived experiences, Preston excels as a leader. While living in Moscow during her sophomore and junior years of high school, she was elected as the first American student council president in the history of the school. She also traveled with her Model UN team, competing in St. Petersburg and helping to organize the first international competition trip to Istanbul, where her team received Best Delegation. A talented debater, Preston was named the highest-scoring speaker regionally and nationally in Russia in 2023.

Preston’s can-do attitude shined during a particularly treacherous period in Russia. When the Wagner mutiny began, Preston, her mother, and her younger brother lived in lockdown at the U.S. Embassy. With her mother’s experience as a nurse, they began teaching the other students at the embassy basic trauma medicine in case of emergency. Preston also created the school’s first charity, raising $1,500 for a local children’s hospital that focused on children orphaned due to the ongoing war.

Preston will study economics at The University of Chicago and plans a career in education, finance or law.

Victoria Presentado
Emory University

Victoria Presentado does not shy away from a challenge. When she began Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2019, she was only one of two girls in the class, and she struggled to keep up. By 2022, she was not just excelling, but also became the first female coach in the club’s history. Her passion for Jiu Jitsu inspired her to try out for her school’s wrestling team. Though the team was not co-ed, Victoria was undeterred. She advocated for herself and for women’s wrestling. Ultimately, she was invited to wrestle on a co-ed team at another school, where she went on to win the state championship for her weight class and was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler.

The confidence Victoria gained in Jiu Jitsu translated into other aspects of her life, even compelling her to sign up for her first AP class. Now, she is an AP Scholar with Honor and has received awards from the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society.

When not on the mat, Victoria is committed to serving others. She is a youth group leader within her church and one of only seven student aids for the school athletic training club. She tutors other students in freshmen and AP biology. Victoria also founded the Homemade for Hope Club, a charity-based baking club. Their large bake sales have raised thousands of dollars to help support and advocate for marginalized communities.

Victoria will study cell biology and premed at the Oxford campus at Emory University and plans a career in medicine.

Miqueas Ramirez De La Rosa
Duke University

Miqueas Ramirez De La Rosa was a child when his family immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. This value of self-improvement permeates every aspect of Miqueas’ life – not only for himself, but also for others. As president of the National French Honor Society, he created partnerships to help students who were struggling or had fallen behind in lessons. As vice president of his senior class, he implemented weekly student health check-ins. Understanding the value of education, Miqueas created a free translation and tutoring service for adult immigrants pursing their associates degrees, and his mentees – including his own mother – are on track to graduate with honors.

Through the DC Health and Academic Prep Program at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Miqueas and his group were recognized with the Innovative Research Award for their solution for water pollution in the district. Miqueas is a QuestBridge Scholar and an AP Scholar. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and a recipient of the College Board National African American Recognition. He earned 1st Place in the Pulitzer Local Letters for Global Change contest.

Drawing on his multiracial heritage, Miqueas serves as the secretary of the LatinX club, helping his fellow students celebrate their culture as well as build shared community through cross-cultural events. As a precursor to his ideal future career, he volunteers at a local community health center to raise awareness of underserved communities and shadows physicians at George Washington Hospital, providing translations for clinicians and patients.

Miqueas will study neuroscience at Duke University and plans a career in anesthesiology.

About the Milken Scholars
Michael and Lori Milken founded the Milken Scholars in 1989 to honor exceptional young individuals who have demonstrated the potential to make a profound difference in the world. Scholars are chosen while high school seniors on the basis of distinguished academic performance, school and community service, leadership, and evidence of having overcome personal, financial, and/or social obstacles. Milken Scholars receive financial assistance plus a strong support system of resources and networks during their academic and professional careers. For more information, visit www.MilkenScholars.org.