Who is Carlos Dillard, Jr?

I am a scholarly leader and a Dean’s List Political Science major.

I channel my academic excellence into leadership, service, and making a difference in how marginalized people are treated.    My achievements include the Illinois Governor’s Service Award, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship, membership in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the DSU Merit Scholarship. These experiences strengthen my ability to uplift my peers and serve the DSU community as Mister Sophomore and a member of the NAACP and Healing Hornets. 

I am an intentional leader who represents DSU as Mister Sophomore with pride, passion, and purpose. 

I love my DSU. I proudly serve on Delaware State University’s 2025–2026 Royal Renaissance Royal Court, where I represent the sophomore class as Mister Sophomore with excellence. In my leadership role, I act as a campus ambassador and student leader who supports student engagement, leads campus tours, assists with move-in, mentors new students, collaborates with school administrators, and participates in open houses and major campus events like the live recording of ESPN’s First Take.

I am a visionary leader committed to amplifying DSU’s spirit by uplifting, connecting, and inspiring our campus with authentic Hornet pride. 

Hornet Highlights is an initiative I created to celebrate the people, stories, and spirit that power the Hive. Through uplifting interviews, campus spotlights, and past events like “Cocoa and Kind Words,” where I shared hot chocolate, warm donuts, and affirmations, I shine a light on the service, kindness, pride, and undeniable swag that make DSU special. Hornet Highlights is designed to build connection, inspire belonging, and honor the everyday greatness that strengthens our Hornet community. 

I am an inclusive leader committed to making a positive difference in the world.

I was the 2023-2024 Regional Teen President (RTP) for the Mid-Western Region of Jack and Jill of America. As the RTP, I led, supported, and advocated for more than 2,000 teen constituents across eight states. In this role, I was the presiding officer of the Regional Teen Officers, a six-person elected teen board. As RTP, I designed and presided over the Teen Leadership Conference, a 4-day conference with 1,400+ teens. I also designed and facilitated leadership workshops for two Area Workday Conferences, IL/WI and MI/OH, and created programs to increase teens' leadership skills and sense of inclusion and connectivity.

I am a leader who advocates and cares about issues impacting the youth and Black people.

I served on the National Teen Board for Jack and Jill of America, where I focused on uniting seven regions and empowering the voices of more than 10,000 Jack and Jill teens nationally. In this capacity, I helped lead the teen efforts at the Jack and Jill biennial On The Hill Summit held Sept. 22-25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. where teens from 30+ states met with their representatives on Capitol Hill to advocate for five legislative issues: the prioritization of voter education and awareness, CROWN Act support, gun control and stricter gun laws, policing reform, and mental health awareness and education. 

I am a leader who wants to impact others positively.

From 2022-2023, I served as the Regional Teen Foundation Chair (RTFC) for the Mid-Western Region of Jack and Jill of America, where I led the planning of our Teen Leadership Conference Community Impact Project. We partnered with Feed My Starving Children and packed and shipped over 101,000 meals to children facing food insecurities. Here's a snippet of my interview with Channel 10 WBNS News.

As RTFC, I encouraged teens to engage in fundraising and meaningful service work in their communities. I personally sold over $35,000 in Double Good Popcorn during our fundraiser, providing over $12,000 in scholarships to deserving teens.