James Diaz is a Kennesaw State University graduate. In his time at KSU, he joined the school’s Filipino Student Association as an active member. It was a great way for him to be reintroduced to his culture and his roots whilst also being in the presence of other Filipinos with different backgrounds. He graduated in December of 2021 with a B.S. in Software Engineering. In May of 2022, FANHS held an event called Cultivating Kapwa which empowered and spurred him to continue the conversation of starting FLAN alongside the other co-founders. This would be an ongoing conversation amongst the founders whenever he attended other events, such as at the Halo-Halo showcase in 2024 and the 2nd Annual Georgia FSA Leadership Summit. FLAN was a way for him to continue the sense of community that FSA built while also making a difference in the community at the stage he’s at now. Currently, he often keeps himself occupied within the community whether it’s through volunteering at Filipino events, showing up for the Filipino cuisine at pop-ups, working at Kamayan, or helping out at the local FSAs.