Padrón Campus Graduate Earns Commissioner’s Leadership Award

Diego Faria, a recent graduate of the Honors College at Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, was awarded the commissioner’s leadership award on May 24. 

The award recognizes Faria’s achievements in community involvement and leadership. He was given the award by Commissioner of Education Manny Díaz Jr.

“I don’t think I would have been able to have this recognition or success had it not been for the people I was surrounded by,” Faria said. 

During his time at Padrón Campus, Faria served as Student Government Association president, a peer listener for the Psych Force club, and a member of the Urbana literary magazine and Beta Kappa Iota. He also interned at the office of congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar. 

The 19-year-old earned an associate’s degree in psychology in April. This fall, he is transferring to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut to study social psychology.