Congratulations to the Publications Student of the Month for September... Victoria Cuellar from Miami Dade College! Victoria was nominated by her advisor, Emily Sendin! Here is what Emily shared with us about Victoria:

"Victoria Cuellar is the thriving force of StoryBytes Media demonstrating her storytelling and leadership strengths in everything she does. As a first-gen immigrant and often feeling confused about college applications in the past, she wrote an 8-episode podcast series, The Vault, which advises transfer students on college essays, financial aid, and scholarships. The Vault Episode 7, “Biggest Common Application Mistakes,” won third place in the College Media Association’s (CMA) David L. Adams Apple Awards and is currently a finalist for CMA’s Pinnacle Award in the podcast series category. She also co-presented to more than one hundred aspiring writers on how to be an effective storyteller at CMA’s ProCon 2025 in New York City. Channeling her own experience as an immigrant, she also wrote, animated, and edited the short film “You’re My American Dream,” which is currently a finalist for a Pinnacle Award in the short film category. In addition to her creativity, she is also the executive producer of StoryBytes Media digital publication leading a staff of over 30 students producing podcasts and films.

Victoria is a servant leader who encourages others to serve and promote a love for literacy and words. She is the founder and president of the Pi Eta Chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta National English Honor Society, where she coordinated and wrote grant petitions to build a Little Free Library on campus, hosted three authors, built a website, and collaborated with Learning Resources to create Reader’s Fest. She is in her second year serving on the executive board of BRAVE (Bilingual Reading Amplifying Voices in Education) and weekly teaches English to children in Nicaragua. In addition to her work as a writer and love for education, she advocates for sustainability. She conducted undergraduate research on urban green spaces and presented her findings in the Excellence Across the Curriculum. Moreover, she is coordinating the inauguration of a second Little Free Library for The Environmental Center at Kendall Campus. She was also involved in Earth Stories where she collaborated with students from Al-Balqa Applied University in Jordan to discuss issues affecting the planet and produced a team podcast. Additionally, as business concept coordinator of the IREX Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge, she collaborated with students from Duhok Polytechnic University and envisioned the second-place winning Kurdami Art– an app and website that promotes eco-conscious art and strengthens the artistic community in Miami and Kurdistan. She is also the vice president of scholarship for Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society."

Congratulations, Victoria! Thank you to Ms. Sendin for nominating this outstanding student!