WASHINGTON (July 18, 2025) – On July 5, Cabo Verde celebrated its 50^th anniversary of independence, honoring distinguished member of the community who made significant contributions to the country's legacy. Among those members was former Howard University standout Latroya Pina, who received the Rising Star Award. The historic event took place at Café Milano in D.C.
 
Pina, along with her sister, Jayla, earned the award for representing the Cape Verde swim team at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. The family, along with their brother, Troy, was part of the first team from the African nation island.
 
At Howard, Pina was a two-sport student-athlete (swim & lacrosse). During the 2017-18 season, she was named HU Bison of the Month in January 2018. Academically, she was selected to the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Commissioner's All-Academic Team and 2018 ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Spring President's Honor Roll.

After her collegiate career, Pina served as an academic advisor for Howard Athletics.
 
Currently, Pina is pursuing a PhD in biology with a focus on neuroscience.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com and/or the Cabo Verde 50^th Anniversary website at www.carboverde50.com.