About Me

My name is Gianna Fernandez and I am currently a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering. I am also pursuing a minor in Sales Engineering and the University of Florida’s Artificial Intelligence Certificate. Currently I am seeking an internship for summer of 2025. I am passionate about traveling, dancing, sports and nature. My ethnic background is Hispanic and Greek-Cypriot. My Cuban family eats lechon, dances to Spanish music, and plays dominos until the sun rises. Growing up in Miami felt like I was in a Cuban hub where I could freely swap between English and Spanish. However, when I moved from Miami, I realized I took my Cuban culture for granted. I discovered that being Hispanic is a minority when looking for peers to converse in Spanish or finding my favorite foods in the small international section of the grocery store. When my family gathers, the Cuban side dances Salsa, and my Greek side dances the Kalamatiano. To commemorate my Cypriot heritage, I have been dancing in Greek festivals since I was three.

Throughout high school and college, I have competed in the U.S.’s most prestigious traditional Greek folkloric dance forum: the Hellenic Dance Festival (HDF). Since scores are based on authenticity, I research the unique culture, dances, and costumes of several regions of Greece. To prepare for this national event, I spend countless hours perfecting each dance move, so much so that blisters form on my feet and holes appear at the bottoms of my shoes even before the judges ever see me perform. As a result of our extensive training, my team has won several medals at HDF. I celebrate and identify with my Greek and Hispanic cultures equally. Depending on who I am talking to, I may greet them by saying “yiasou” or ”hola” instead of “hello”.

To stay connected with my heritage, I am actively a part of the Cuban American Student Association in addition to being the founder and president of the Greek American Student Association. This portfolio is designed to showcase my global academic, personal, and professional experiences as the final component of the International Scholars Program at the University of Florida, and I invite you to browse through it to see all I have learned throughout my time in the program so far.