Cover Stories

Watching Steve Shapiro so confidently and comfortably own his weekday broadcasts on WSVN (7 News), as well as his Sports Xtra show on Sunday nights, it’s hard to imagine the affable Boston native doing anything but deliver sports news to a television audience. However, the only connection between Shapiro’s first post-college gig and the gypsy

Category: Master bedroom Big picture: Ueno (pictured), lead designer at the Miami-based firm she founded, describes her vision for this penthouse bedroom in Brickell as “modern boho, erring neutral with a few pops of color.” The details: The Persian carpet, with its coastal blue and burnt red shades, became the foundation for the space, adding

Category: Dining room Big picture: Charged with creating a chic, timeless space that capitalizes on views of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Innovative team relied on its depth of design knowledge and international artisans to frame this dining room so exquisitely that it became a focal point of the residence. The details: Polished, neutral-colored Botticino marble

Education after high school has long been described as a lever to jobs and success. But what if there’s no college in your neighborhood? What if you can’t afford it? What if you’ve been told you’re not college material or believe it’s beyond you? What if you’re simply too busy juggling low-paying gigs to go?

The first thing Jessica Duemig did when she found out she was cured of breast cancer in February was go to Costco with her parents to buy supplies for her “I’m cured” party. Duemig is the first to admit that the action seems “anticlimactic.” But don’t let the seemingly pedestrian nature of a shopping trip

Tiffany Comerie Physician Assistant, Emergency Room, Florida Medical Center   Background: Tiffany Comerie grew up in Coconut Creek after moving from Jamaica when she was 6 years old. The Coconut Creek High School graduate majored in biology at Florida Atlantic University, where she decided to become a physician assistant. She attended Nova Southeastern University and

Melvin Kohan  Medical director, Infection Prevention and Control Program, Broward Health Coral Springs Background: The Wellington resident attended Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico, completed his residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital at the University of Connecticut, and did his fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Miami. Earlier in his career, he

Mireya Toquica   Nurse, Aventura Hospital & Medical Center Background: Toquica, 34, was born in Colombia; she moved to Miami in 2000 with lifelong dreams of becoming a nurse. “I grew up in a place where people lacked basic health care resources and services,” she explains. “Seeing that changes you. That’s what inspired me to make a difference.” Shortly

Lina Puntervold Nurse and infection control practitioner, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital  Background: Puntervold earned a master’s degree in public health with a minor in epidemiology from the University of South Florida. Having cared for the hospital’s tiniest patients in the neonatal unit, the Broward County resident now dedicates herself to disease-related research, reporting, and education.    Pandemic

Mauricio Danckers   Medical director, Intensive Care Unit, Aventura Hospital & Medical Center  Background: As medical director of the ICU, Danckers specializes in the care of the medical and surgical critically ill. In addition, he is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, where he was recently awarded

Anakarla Perozo Trauma ICU nurse, Kendall Regional Medical Center  Background: As the first member of her family to pursue a career in medicine, Perozo, 29, has had a desire to help people for as long as she can remember. “My mom always wondered why I wanted to do this,” she says. “There [are] no doctors in

Jennifer Homan Vice president of development, Junior Achievement South Florida Background: In her role at Junior Achievement, Homan raises funds to deliver financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship programs to 52,000 students a year. The Aventura resident earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in mental health counseling