Carmen Diaz

Carmen Diaz, based in Tallahassee, Florida, has demonstrated strong leadership and creative skills throughout her high school and early college years. As a dual-enrolled student at Tallahassee State College, she simultaneously earned her AA degree and high school diploma, becoming the first dual-enrolled student to serve as lead editor of the college's literary and art magazine, The Erie. In this role, she oversaw the selection and editing of student submissions in art, photography, and poetry, managed page layouts using Adobe InDesign, and coordinated the magazine's production and community unveiling event as part of Word of South. Additionally, from her sophomore to senior year, Diaz was a founding captain of her high school's FIRST robotics team, handling coding, marketing, sponsorship outreach, and team management across multiple subgroups. Her leadership earned her the Commissioner's Leadership Award and the Best and Brightest Award in the leadership category in Leon County. She is now attending Savannah College of Art and Design to pursue a BFA in Branding and Advertisement, with an internship in communications and marketing at Tallahassee State College, where she contributes to the college website and social media videos. Diaz also operates a handmade wire jewelry business, selling at local markets, and aims to use her skills as an art director to support projects by women from minority backgrounds like herself.