Leonela Guzmán – 2014 People to Watch

Occupation: Student, Public Relations Coordinator for Delta Literary Journal
Hometown: Lake Charles
Age: 22

At a time when being able to do a little bit of everything is a job requirement, Leonela Guzmán is on track. The history and political science double major at LSU is a creative writer helping expand the scope of the Delta Literary Journal and organizing bimonthly art shows. She also models for international arts collective Maker’s Workshop and moonlights as one half of the female DJ duo Las Tinas. Folk Magazine featured her in October.

“I played soccer in school, so I always had this crazy competitive nature,” Guzmán says. “But it wasn’t honed in the right way. I had to learn to tone it down.”

At Delta Journal, Guzmán has collaborated with the River Writers reading series and helped attract more creative students—not just writers. She graduates next year, but she’s already entrenched in B.R.’s creative scene.

“I feel like now is the first time everything has kicked into gear.”

17-year-old writer and style blogger Tavi Gevinson. “She’s just got an incredible brain.”

Follow Guzmán on Twitter at @leonelaguzman.