Carlos Diaz Profile

The city of Vancouver is preparing itself to be the world’s stage. The stadiums are built; the athletes’ villages are furnished. In just two weeks the entirety of the world will shift its collective focus onto the city. Billions will be watching as the greatest winter athletes in the world converge on the city to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. While this edition of the Olympics probably won’t feature a miracle hockey match between the United States and the Soviet Union, they will still be interesting and hold the focus of the entire world for the two weeks in which they are played.

Everyone dreams of one day participating in the Olympic Games. However, as we all grow up, we realize that we don't have anywhere near the necessary amount of talent to compete on a level with the Olympic athletes. For one Bentley junior, that lack of Olympic level talent was not enough to deter him from going to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. No, Carlos Diaz will not be lacing up his skates or skiing down the slopes for Team USA. Carlos is headed to the Olympics as a part of NBC’s hospitality team. In Vancouver it will be his job to shuttle network executives and VIPs along with handling merchandise and ticketing duties.

A typical day for Carlos in Vancouver will probably look something like this:

1. Wake up

2. Shuttle VIPs to Olympic venues

3. Distribute tickets and merchandise to VIPs

4. Watch Olympic events

5. Shuttle VIPs back to hotels

Carlos is a fun loving management major from Delaware. Growing up, he was always around sports. His favorite teams include the 76ers, the Flyers, the Phillies, and the Eagles. During his senior year, he helped his high school basketball team win the Delaware state championship. One of his favorite stories to tell involving sports is about Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Carlos grew up just around the corner from where the great basketball player also grew up and practiced. However, Carlos was too young to realize that he was growing up just around the corner from one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived. Sports have been such a big part of Carlos’ life that he even runs his own web site: cnbsports.com. The site employs about twenty of his friends who like to write and talk sports.

While his childhood and current involvement with sports are two ways that could make anyone a fit for the NBC Olympic staff, Carlos landed his internship through sheer luck and some smooth talk. Carlos was accompanying his friend who was interviewing for the same position Carlos will fill in Vancouver. After his friends interview, Carlos asked the interviewer if there were any more positions available. She told him to come back in the morning for his own interview. He found a way to stay in the city one more night, and the next morning landed himself the internship of a lifetime alongside his best friend.

Carlos isn’t all about work though. He is just an average college student who loves to have fun. He grew up in Delaware with his mother. He has an older sister and a younger brother, but he was the first one to leave the house. At Bentley, he is a member of the lacrosse team. His favorite hangouts are Deluca’s on Newbury St. in Boston and Bodega.

Carlos loves seafood and the warm sun. His father lives in Puerto Rico where he owns and operates a family seafood restaurant. It is Carlos’ dream to one day live in Miami and open his own seafood restaurant.

In two short weeks, the eyes of the world will be on Vancouver. Everyone will be watching to see which countries bring home the gold. But Carlos Diaz will be one of the select few who get to be there. No, he won’t take home a gold medal for his work with guest hospitality, but he will walk away with the experience of a lifetime. He may not be sure exactly what he wants to do in a year when he is among those who graduate with the Bentley University class of 2011. To him, that doesn’t matter right now. Right now, he’s just living the dream.