Hometown: Flushing, N.Y.

Leadership positions: Temple Student Government president and president of the Alpha Rho chapter of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc.

TSG accomplishments of which I am most proud: “Organizing 1K Help for a Day, a service project in which 1,050 students participated; lobbying to keep tuition prices down; and restructuring the entire organization (we changed the constitution and created a Senate and a judicial branch).”

Weekly hours spent on extracurricular activities: “I would equate it to a full-time job.”

Time management secret: “I make myself finish something I may not enjoy doing before doing something that I am passionate about.”

Favorite Temple person: “Ruth Ost, director of the Honors Program, for the way she inspires you to think and make yourself better.”

Why every student should try to participate in Temple Volunteers immersion service trips: “The experience of being in another place — in my case it was New Mexico and Belize (where the picture above was taken) — and contributing to improving the quality of life is something you will cherish.”

What I learned as an intern on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.: “The compromising positions that elected officials are put in and the various stresses and pressures they face on a daily basis.”

How my experience as a first-generation American impacted my life: “It has made me really appreciate every opportunity and blessing that has come my way. My parents, who were both born in Colombia, work exhausting hours so that I can be here. It drives me to be the best that I can.”

Temple’s biggest institutional challenges: “Maintaining the same level of diversity, and dealing with infrastructure and space concerns related to Temple's growing residential student population.”

Next stop: “I will be doing community organizing through DART (the Direct Action and Research Training Center).”