Donor Stories

Their love for the University of Miami couldn’t have been cultivated more differently.

Miguel Fonseca grew up attending a Catholic school in Savannah, Georgia and jokes there were times during his childhood that he may have “erred on the other side” of the Miami-Notre Dame rivalry that made countless college football headlines throughout the 1980s.

Isabelle “Isa” Rodriguez, meanwhile, grew up in Coral Gables, not far from the University where her father earned an engineering degree. There were countless childhood visits to campus where Rodriguez remembers her brother took diving lessons and where she would go bowling, back when Miami had an on-campus bowling alley.

As unalike as their paths may have been, both Fonseca and Rodriguez eventually found themselves studying at the Miami Herbert Business School, albeit at different times.

Fonseca earned his master’s degree at Miami in 1995 and Rodriuez earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees there in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

In their own ways, both were impacted by their time at Miami, in particular by the people they met while on their journeys at The U.

For Fonseca, that meant sharing tax classes with football players, young men he quickly learned didn’t fit the stereotypes linked to the infamous Miami-Notre Dame rivalry. And for Rodriguez, that meant learning from older students on campus – particularly those in the Beta Alpha Psi business honor society – who mentored her and gave her advice as she navigated a completely new and unexpected course of study: accounting.

“Miami gave me the opportunity to really grow,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t necessarily come from a business background, so I didn’t know how to dress for office interviews, or office visits and the University of Miami – specifically Beta Alpha Psi – helped coach me through all of that. I met different folks, some really good friends, that I’ve stayed in touch with. Really, that’s what the University gave me: the opportunity to grow and develop and ultimately impacted where I am today.”

Said Fonseca, “I attended classes with some of the football players and I was like, ‘These are good guys. What is this narrative nationally?’ I got to know some of the players, some of them were in my tax [classes] and I really got to know them. … And while I was getting my master’s there, I just really turned completely and became very pro-UM.”

Those experiences and their Miami degrees ultimately led them to the careers they have today at Deloitte, the multinational professional services network that consults some of the biggest names in business.

It was at Deloitte where the two Miami alums met, and upon discovering their shared love for the University – and for Hurricanes athletics – a friendship was born.

So was an idea.

The two colleagues began discussing how they could impact the place that had impacted them, but Fonseca noted it was important that this gift, in particular, be one that stood apart from any he and Rodriguez had previously made to the University.

“I wanted to do something meaningful with the University and the athletic department, but I didn’t necessarily want to tie it like a quid pro quo,” Fonseca said. “You know, with Golden Canes, you do this, but you get tickets, or you get all these other things. I just wanted to do something that also helped the business department.”

Their solution? An endowed scholarship that would be funded in perpetuity.

Fonseca and Rodriguez each donated $25,000 to create what is now the Fonseca and Rodriguez Endowed Business Scholarship for Student-Athletes. Through its company match program, Deloitte – which has deep ties to the University and often recruits graduates from the Herbert Business School – contributed to the scholarship fund as well.

Now, the two Miami alums hope their gift will help provide life-changing opportunities for high-achieving Hurricanes student-athletes who have their sights set on careers in the business world once their competition days are over.

“It makes it easier for them. … It takes off a little bit of the financial pressure,” Fonseca said. “And if nothing else, as they get these scholarships and they say, ‘Oh, the business world,’ they’ll also see that there are opportunities for high performers in the classroom in the highest tranches of the business world. If that helps open their eyes to possibilities beyond their sport, I think that’s a win-win, too.”

Added Rodriguez, “I enjoy the sports at the University of Miami, but I’ve always wanted to do something more than just donate to the Hurricane Club. I love the idea of the scholarship. I love the idea of being able to give back and know where the money is going, that it’s going to help someone make something out of their life and have a career that could bring as much value to them, as much joy to them as this has done for me. … And it was important to have a scholarship in the business school because I do think in business school, you get a well-rounded background. It was important to me that whatever we set up was something where the folks were going to be able to take that learning forward.”

Brian Campbell, Miami’s Assistant Vice President of Athletics Development noted there’s no doubt Fonseca and Rodriguez’s gift – along with all the scholarship gifts Miami receives – have a significant impact on the Hurricanes student-athletes.

“Often lost in the conversation about the changing landscape of college athletics is the continued – and growing – need to fund our student-athletes’ educations. With the expected outcome of House v. NCAA, we anticipate needing to raise an additional $5 million in scholarship support, making it more essential to invest in this area," Campbell said. "Of all the generous gifts we’re fortunate to receive and steward, few offer a greater return than a scholarship. These opportunities not only help us attract top-tier student-athletes, but they also change the trajectory of lives – opening doors long after their playing days are over."

Now, with the scholarship established, Fonseca and Rodriguez hope future generations of Hurricanes will benefit from their time in the Herbert Business School the way they did.

And, they hope, one day, those Hurricanes will, in turn, support Miami in their own ways.

“I remember being a first year at Deloitte and having people take me under their wing and helping me grow and develop and although Mike and I aren’t necessarily there with the scholars, we’ve given the scholars the opportunity to help them really build their futures,” Rodriguez said. “Miami doesn’t just give you the opportunity to study. It gives you the opportunity to network with firms that you might not have at other schools. … It’s really about their futures. And to me, it’s also about the fact those student-athletes were on a scholarship that someone gave to them. I hope that they give back. It’s always about paying it forward.”