Silver Knight Awards Results 2026

The 68th Annual Silver Knight Award ceremony, hosted annually by The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, was held on May 12 at the James L. Knight Center. Nine Belen Jesuit seniors were nominated for the coveted award, which recognizes outstanding high school seniors for their unselfish service to their school and community.

Matthew Vila ’26 won the Silver Knight in Music and Dance and Joaquín Otero ’26 won Honorable Mention in Speech.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the young men nominated for the Silver Knight,” said Principal José E. Roca ‘84. “I join our community in congratulating Matthew for winning and Joaquín for being recognized as an honorable mention recipient. Their dedication and passion for service exemplify the magis and serve as an inspiration to the student body.”

“Winning the Silver Knight is a testament to the incandescent love my Cuban-Colombian heritage taught me to share in everything I do,” said Matthew. “I never started Harmony Hugs with the intent of recognition. And it’s for that reason that I feel I’ve been honored with this award. Selfless service is an expectation we’re held to as Catholics and Men for Others. And God rewards those who follow in his son’s footsteps.”

Belen’s Silver Knight Coordinator, Mrs. Loli Toledo, summed up their service.

Matthew Vila is the founder of Harmony Hugs, a music enrichment nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities by expanding access to the joy of music across South Florida. By securing strategic grants and private donations, Matthew has expanded access to music for 10 institutions and established permanent programs at 4 special education centers. Under his leadership, Harmony Hugs has grown into a collaborative network of five volunteer chapters—comprising students from Belen Jesuit, Lourdes Academy, TERRA, Coral Reef, and Carrollton—each paired with dedicated operational sites, including Great Heights Academy, Catching Up Therapy, Be Unique Academy, Beyond Expectations Academy and the University of Miami’s Linda Ray Intervention Center. Serving participants from 3 months through age 18, Matthew’s initiative fosters a culture of therapeutic inclusion and self-expression by helping youth discover their own symphony of self-expression. By bridging the gap between artistic performance and community service, Matthew has created a sustainable model of accessibility that ensures the benefits of music education are available to all.

Joaquín Otero founded the Obtain Wellness Now (OWN) Club at Belen Jesuit, a peer-led mental health advocacy and support group designed to foster emotional resilience and mental health literacy. By establishing a safe environment for the exploration of personal struggle and the development of emotional regulation strategies, Joaquín proactively addresses the stigma often associated with mental health in high-pressure academic settings. OWN hosts biweekly meetings that encourage open conversation and attempt to normalize vulnerability, particularly in environments where mental health discussions are often stigmatized. His goal is to advocate that vulnerability isn't weakness and that it is healthy for everyone, including men, to express feelings and to ask for help. Grounded in reciprocal trust and psychological safety, the OWN Club equips participants with the behavioral tools necessary to navigate stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges of adolescence.

Congratulations to Belen’s other nominees on a job well done:
César Aguado – Athletics
Raúl Gómez-Pina – Science
Anthony Kiami Giménez – Vocational Technical
Yunier Martínez – Journalism
José Romano – Mathematics
Michael Vila – Digital and Interactive Media
Ian Wolstenholme – Social Science

According to the Miami Herald, 15 students from Miami-Dade and 15 from Broward and Monroe counties were honored with a Silver Knight statue, a $2,000 scholarship from the Herald Charities Foundation and 25,000 American Advantage miles. Others who received honorable mentions earned a $500 scholarship and an engraved plaque.