Over Zoom or in person · Cutler Bay, Florida

Opening the path to college for South Florida's underserved teens.

Free tutoring and mentoring, over Zoom or in person in Cutler Bay, that helps teens do well in school, get into college, and grow into leaders in their communities.

Construyendo el futuro de nuestros jóvenes.

Pilot program

Our first tutoring and mentoring group started in fall 2026.

We're now recruiting South Florida students and new mentors for 2027.

Join the interest list →

Our mission

Every student deserves someone in their corner.

SoFla Scholars supports underserved teens and their families across South Florida through education, mentoring, and community services. We match each student with a college mentor, who helps with schoolwork, college applications, and the questions families new to the system don't always know to ask.

We believe opportunity grows where young people are given knowledge, discipline, and the freedom to build their own future.

Programs

Starting with students, growing with families.

Underway

Tutoring and mentoring

One-on-one and small-group tutoring, plus a mentor who helps with study habits, college planning, and scholarships. Families choose what works best: sessions over Zoom from home, or in person at our Cutler Bay location. Mentors are college students from across South Florida and Columbia University.

Coming next

Family resources

Workshops in English and Spanish on school enrollment, financial aid, and knowing your rights, with referrals to trusted legal aid partners for immigration questions.

Long-term goal

A school of our own

Someday, we hope to open a private school for Tampa-area families, built on everything we learn from mentoring. It's a goal for the years ahead. For now, our focus is on the students we serve today.

Our mentors

Where our mentors study

We recruit mentors from colleges across Miami-Dade and from Columbia University.

University of MiamiFlorida International UniversityMiami Dade CollegeBarry UniversityColumbia University
Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella, founder of SoFla Scholars

About the founder

Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella

I grew up in Miami, the son of a Cuban father and a Venezuelan mother. Today I study at Columbia University, where I mentor low-income and first-generation college students and help lead a program that tutors New York City teens.

I believe mentorship has the power to change the course of a life. I owe my own success to the great mentors I've had along the way, and I want every kid to have the same resources and opportunities I did. That's why I'm building this.

Meet the rest of our team →

Get involved

Help us open doors.

Mentor a student

College students in South Florida or at Columbia who can give a few hours a week over Zoom or in person.

Sign up to mentor →

Partner with us

Schools, churches, and local businesses that can help us reach families or host sessions.

Start a conversation →

Support our work

Online giving will open once our tax-exempt status is approved. Join the list to hear when it does.

Stay updated →

Contact

Let's talk.

Parents, volunteers, and partners can reach us here. Hablamos español.

contact.soflascholars@gmail.com
18900 SW 106th Ave, Suite 205
Cutler Bay, FL 33157