Favorite Typeface: Poppins
Favorite Software: Illustrator
Dream Job: Graphic designer for &Walsh
Fernanda Duarte is a Mexican-American Graphic Designer based in Arizona. She is building a career in graphic design that enables her to maintain a connection with art and use it to create designs that enhance the beauty of simplicity in daily life. Fernanda aims to create designs that are not only functional but also bring comfort, joy, and spark meaningful conversations. Through her academic journey, she has enhanced her skills as an artist and designer through class experiences and personal projects. She has been a recipient of the 2022 AAG AWA Del Decil Scholarship with a 5-piece graphite collection and won a national planner cover design contest for Erin Condren. Fernanda looks forward to gaining opportunities that help her develop as a designer and explore her identity as an artist.
View portfolio here.
Education
A Dream Cut Short: Gender Inequality in Education
Child marriage is devastating girls’ education worldwide. Twelve million underage girls marry every year, with nine out of ten leaving school. Each time a girl is forced into marriage, her education cuts short, and when girls are denied education, time stands still for everyone. Economic constraints push families to marry off their daughters, while cultural barriers reinforce this practice. This crisis disproportionately impacts low-income communities and developing countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Child marriage traps girls in cycles of poverty, limited healthcare, and restricted opportunities. We must provide financial support, create safe learning environments, and challenge cultural mindsets to end child marriage and ensure every girl can complete her education.
View senior book here.