As Adriana Diaz begins her new job with Lutheran Services Florida as a child welfare case manager next week, New College sends her off proudly, knowing she will continue to make a positive impact on the local community.
Diaz has been an asset to the College for the past seven years, first as a sociology student in 2012 and then as a post-graduation campus life coordinator in 2017. She held the latter post for three years, during which time she mentored resident advisers, organized inclusive gatherings and built an incredible sense of unity on campus.
“I have really enjoyed my time here and have grown so much and formed many great relationships,” Diaz said. “My favorite part of my job was getting to supervise the RA staff and seeing them develop and grow as people, and getting to support them through life.”
As nurturing as she is creative, Diaz regularly designed T-shirts for big events like New College orientations and reunions. She helped students embrace their identities through various painting events (such as a self-love self-portrait-making get-together).
“Some of the hard things have also been the most rewarding parts of my job,” Diaz said. “When we had Hurricane Irma, for example, and we all stayed in ACE for 41 hours, that was a time when the New College community came together and I got to support a lot of students through it. It’s not always the fun, easy part of the jobs that are rewarding.”
Transitioning to her new position as a case manager will involve plenty of rewarding and challenging aspects, she knows.
“I think that responding to student crises has helped me learn how to keep cool during those tough times and give people what they need,” Diaz said. “It’s just about being there with them.”
And being here at New College was home for Diaz for so many years; it shaped and prepared her for the next phase of her career.
“New College has been a place where I have become myself and I’ve grown through so many things,” Diaz said. “I wouldn’t be who I am now if I hadn’t come here.”
Abby Weingarten is the editor/writer in the Office of Communications & Marketing.