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Jayla Cardona

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Finalist

General information

Location
Spring Lake, NC
Age
21
Gender
Female
Ethnicity
Black/African, Hispanic/Latino

Hobbies & Interests

  • Advocacy And Activism
  • African American Studies
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Anime
  • Babysitting And Childcare
  • Choir
  • Cooking
  • Cosplay
  • FBLA
  • Foreign Languages
  • Hair Styling
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • YouTube
  • Video Editing and Production
  • Music
  • Spanish
  • List
  • Human Resources
  • Ethics

Reading

  • Adult Fiction
  • Epic
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Romance
  • Thriller
  • Young Adult

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

I am an International Business student at North Carolina A&T, raised in a multicultural military family that shaped how I see and move through the world. Growing up Black and Puerto Rican, constantly adapting to new places and people, I learned how to lead across cultures, speak up for others, and create space where there was none. That mindset is what drives me today. This year I will serve as President of Estamos Unidos, our Latinx cultural alliance. My focus is on building community and expanding access to resources like scholarships, internships, and global learning opportunities. Many of our members come from backgrounds where these things were never talked about or made to feel attainable, and I want to change that. I am also one of the lead Treasurers for NCAT's Society of Advancement in Management chapter, as well as the upcoming founder of a new chapter of FBLA on campus to help more Black and Brown students step into business leadership with confidence and support. My goal is to build a future where students like me are not just included but fully equipped to lead. I want to make sure we do not have to choose between success and authenticity. We deserve both.

Education

North Carolina A & T State University

Bachelor's degree program

2023 – 2027

Majors:
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
  • International Business
Minors:
  • Finance and Financial Management Services
GPA3.5 GPA

Overhills High

High School

2019 – 2023

GPA3.8 GPA

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Columbia University in the City of New York, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Majors of interest:
International Business, Business/Corporate Communications, Human Resources Management and Services, Finance and Financial Management Services
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Sortation Center Warehouse Associate

    Logistics and Supply Chain · Amazon

    Jan 2026 – Present

  • Fine Dining Server

    Hospitality · Print Works Bistro

    Jan 2025 – Jan 2025

  • Server

    Restaurants · Cracker Barrel

    Jan 2024 – Jan 2025

  • Crew Member

    Food & Beverages · Jersey Mikes

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2023

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
International Trade and Development
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Zedikiah Randolph Memorial Scholarship
Some people walk into rooms that weren’t built for them and shrink. I walk in, look around, and remind myself of this: We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That quote defines how I live, lead, and learn, shaping my responsibility in the business world. Everything I do is rooted in that mindset. I come from a multicultural military family, a family of service. Moving around exposed me to different cultures, communities, and ways of life. I saw the world in vivid, beautiful color early on, but I also saw how easy its for people who look like me to feel out of place or overlooked. That upbringing lit a fire in me, a passion for diversity, inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership. As a proud Afro-Latina woman attending the nation’s largest public HBCU, I carry the pride and responsibility of representing not just my cultural identity but the intersections within the African diaspora. My existence is proof we are not a monolith. I want the world to see the beauty, complexity, and resilience that live in our communities across languages, borders, and lived experiences. That is why I chose International Business. My degree equips me with the tools to navigate systems globally while keeping equity and ethics at my center. In today’s world, where access is not always equal, I have made it my mission to show up, especially in spaces not built for us. Many say they want to be leaders, but not everyone talks about what that feels like or how it impacts people coming behind you. Leadership means being uncomfortable in that meeting, that internship, or that classroom where you are the only one representing your community. To me, leadership is not about titles. It’s about making sure I am not the last one in that room. That mission is reflected in the work I have been building for years. In high school, I served as Treasurer for FBLA, where I learned to manage resources, stay organized, and think long-term about programs that last. At North Carolina A&T, I carried those lessons forward, serving as Treasurer for Estamos Unidos, Treasurer for the Society for Advancement of Management, and now Vice President of Estamos Unidos while also founding NC A&T’s first collegiate FBLA chapter. Each role taught me how to balance vision with structure and create leadership pipelines for students of color that will last long after I'm gone. My campus involvement ties directly to the world I want to help build. Continuing my education lets me live out that mission and carry it into the corporate and global business world, expanding what I establish on campus into opportunities that pour back into others. I want to use what I am learning to challenge barriers that limit Black professionals in leadership, advocate for inclusive business practices, and create mentorship opportunities that strengthen confidence and networks for underrepresented students. Only about 4% of senior executive roles in corporate America are held by Latina women, and Black women make up less than 2%. In my program, I may be part of a small percentage, but that is why I lean into leadership instead of shying away from it. I am okay with being uncomfortable in these spaces because I know I am making room for others. In our communities, we all want to make it to the top, but once we do, how are we helping others get there? What are we building? What tools are we passing down so the next generation does not have to start from scratch? I am not just building success. I am building access.
Jayla Cardona Student Profile | Bold.org