He’s the smiling face seen when walking around campus, the voice heard proudly singing the fight song and the guy with a name too catchy to forget. Communication and marketing senior Leo Carrillo embodies what it means to be an Aztec.
Serving as the current executive vice president of Associated Students, Carrillo describes himself as the voice to the students and chair of Aztec pride on campus.
“If you ask anyone, I’m probably the most die-hard Aztec ever,” Carrillo said.
Carrillo is passionate about getting students involved and informed on campus. Whether it’s voting on the school logo, attending a basketball game or taking part in an upcoming Aztec Night, Carrillo’s goal is for students to make the most of their college experience.
“I want students to know what’s going on outside of the classroom and for them to take pride in their school,” Carrillo said.
As a communication student, Carrillo wants to pursue a career in the marketing field.
“I chose to go into communications because I am interested to know what gets the attention of others,” he said. “I want to know what the best ways are to reach someone and how to communicate what others are trying to say.”
Ben Eisenstein, associate director of marketing for Aztec Shops, has worked closely with Carrillo on a variety of different campaigns throughout the year. He has personally seen how devoted and passionate Carrillo is toward the San Diego State campus.
“When things need to get done on projects like Homecoming, you need someone like Leo who can get people to rally behind him,” Einstein said. “It’s that leadership quality that serves him so well with Associated Students and I think will serve him very well in his career.”
Ever since Carrillo ran cross country for Banning High School, Nike has always been a company that intrigued him. His goal is to some day be the chief marketing officer of Nike.
While one of his many goals is to work for the popular athletic company, another major goal for Carrillo is to simply motivate others to be their best selves.
Because of this, Carrillo commonly takes part in and shares “Motivational Monday” video posts on social media. Originally, these videos were used as a way to update his friends and family on events going on in his life. Eventually, the videos evolved into a tool used for highlighting different occurrences on campus while also acting as a tool for motivation. By sharing what’s going on in his life and on campus, Carrillo hopes his “Motivational Monday” videos can inspire others.
“We all have those days (when) we don’t feel motivated, so if I can help at least one person with a video, that’s fine with me,” Carrillo said.
Along with being the A.S. vice president, Carrillo has also served as a community service officer for the SDSU Police Department, a member of the SDSU Entrepreneur Society and a member of the Educational Opportunity Programs student advisory board, to name a few.
With the numerous organizations Carrillo has dedicated his time and energy to, it’s no surprise that he believes the most important thing students can do is to get involved on campus.
Carrillo urges all students to create new friendships, reach outside of their comfort zones and discover their passions.
“We’ve all heard it, but we need to take advantage of our time here because college goes by quick, so make the most of every moment,” he said.
Rather than simply telling people to live by the morals of hard work, dedication and sacrifice, Carrillo stands as a living example of his motivational words.
“Leo possesses a type of enthusiasm, excitement, and verve that can’t really be taught,” Eisenstein said.
Whether it’s sharing a hashtag on Facebook, organizing a campus event or showing his pride at a sporting event, Carrillo is the epitome of what it means to be an Aztec.
