About Us

A family's promise, your future.

The Arias Family Scholarship Foundation was born from a simple conviction: that no student's future should be limited by their circumstances. Founded by the Arias family to honor the people that made their dreams possible, this foundation is proud to provide financial support for pre-med and agriculture college students.

Our Founders

Jonathan & Lauren Arias

Founded by Jonathan and Lauren Arias, this scholarship initiative stems from a lifelong commitment to educational equity and opportunity. Having met as undergraduate students at Florida A&M University (FAMU), Jonathan and Lauren are dedicated to creating meaningful pathways for future scholars. Lauren Arias, MD, is proudly following in her father’s footsteps in the field of medicine. Jonathan Arias is a practicing attorney driven by a clear personal mission: to create companies that create good.

Together, they established these scholarships in honor of the mentors who guided their own paths. Having walked in the very shoes of today’s applicants, Jonathan and Lauren believe deeply that access to quality education is vital for every student and that financial constraints should never stand between a student and their future. Through these awards, they are proud to invest in tomorrow’s leaders and pay forward the support that shaped their own journeys.

Explore the scholarships

Honored Legacies

The names behind the scholarships.

Pre-Med · FAMU · Orange County

Lou Charles Harold

Lou Charles Harold Scholarship

Lou Charles Harold was born in 1953 in Sanford, Florida. He began his higher education at Stetson University in 1970 before spending three years with Southern Bell. In 1976 he enrolled at Florida A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and laid the foundation for a life in medicine. He went on to attend Stanford University School of Medicine from 1978 to 1982, then completed his General Surgery residency at ORMC (Orlando Regional Medical Center) from 1982 to 1987. From 1987 until 2025, Dr. Harold devoted nearly four decades to private practice in General Surgery, Trauma, and Bariatric Surgery — caring for the Orange County community he had always called home.

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Agriculture · Miami-Dade County

Maria S. Jordan

Maria S. Jordan & Diana Collingwood Scholarship

Maria S. Jordan has spent her life in agriculture. Raised in FFA and 4-H, she showed steers, pigs, and lambs — winning Grand Champion steer in 1992. She earned a Bachelor's in Agricultural Business and Economics from the University of Tennessee at Martin, then worked at Tyson Foods before a career shift into teaching. At Miami Dade County Public Schools, she was named 2002 Rookie Teacher of the Year and led the first team in the district to win five state FFA titles in Horticulture. At John A. Ferguson Senior High, she built one of Florida's largest FFA programs with 400 students. Today, Maria serves as North America Quality Manager for Chiquita Fresh, covering the U.S. and Canada.

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Agriculture · Miami-Dade County

Diana Collingwood

Maria S. Jordan & Diana Collingwood Scholarship

Diana Collingwood is the Founder and Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Women in Agriculture Association Inc. (VIWIAA Inc.) and the President of P.E.A.C.E. International USVI LLC. She is a former Agriculture Educator, FFA Advisor, Miami-Dade District Career & Technical Education (CTE) Supervisor, and student/teacher mentor (1994-2019). She served as Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture for the US Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (2019 -2024) and is currently the only female to earn an A.A. Degree in Agriculture from the University of the Virgin Islands (then College of the VI).

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