Meet Our Scholars
Arianna Baez
Broward College
Graphic Design
She/Her/Hers
Community College
Donald Cummins Scholarship
Arianna came to the United States when she was 13 years old from Venezuela. She and her family were escaping political persecution. Despite hoping her situation would improve throughout her academic journey, she faced discrimination as a result of her language barrier and immigration status. She attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from 2016 to 2020. In those years, she struggled with a lack of identity, including sexual orientation. As part of her search for acceptance, she participated in numerous clubs and activities such as National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Art Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Cardinal Newman Society Catholic Club, multicultural shows, debate tournaments, Relay For Life, fostering shelter animals, completing human trafficking awareness projects, tutoring peers, doing face-painting for children, helping with school beautification projects, and being a teacher’s assistant. After high school, she enrolled as a student at Broward College (BC), where she became a member of BC’s Gay-Straight Alliance, Honor college, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. She will graduate from BC in the summer of 2022, and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in graphic design at University of Florida while obtaining a Google UX Professional Certificate. Her goal is to build a curriculum and a unique portfolio that she hopes will outshine her immigration status restriction.