Cherry-coke in one hand, motorcycle helmet in the other, Saul Flores is the epitome of carefree spontaneity at first glance. But although his bright smile instantly puts everyone at ease, he has bigger plans than a Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride: he wants to save the world. Flores is a junior majoring in graphic design and business marketing and a Caldwell Fellow. Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., he and his family moved to Charlotte in 2001 after the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. Flores said that although he loves Brooklyn and Charlotte for their own unique qualities, he “loves this University more than anything.” Janice Odom, director of the Caldwell Fellows, has known Flores since he applied for the program his freshman year. “Saul has energy and passion for what he does,” Odom said. “He is focused on how to use his art for community and social change.” Beyond owning his own mural company, which gave him the opportunity to design for ESPN, Flores serves as the creative director for New Sense Studios, a project of the Caldwell Fellows that uses art to reach teenagers in the Raleigh area. Flores also volunteers weekly at Kids Café. This center provides at-risk children with a place to receive tutoring help with homework, play sports and eat a meal. Flores enjoys working with the Hispanic children there because his family is from Mexico and he is fluent in Spanish. Through Caldwell Fellows, Flores had the opportunity to travel to Mexico to see his extended family and provide service to elementary school children in the area. “It was really cool to see my family and my closest friends in the same room,” Flores said. “I am going back to Mexico to continue serving children this Spring Break as the team leader.” Flores has also been to China on a service trip with Caldwell Fellows, where he ended up backpacking through Japan with a friend. “We stopped in an airport in Japan and told our teacher we would meet them in China,” Flores said. “We had to sleep on rooftops because we didn’t have enough money, but we made our boat ride to China!” Jeffrey Huber has known Flores both through the Photography Club, of which he is the president and Flores is the vice-president, and through Caldwell Fellows. “One thing that is obvious about Saul to anyone who talks to him is that he genuinely cares about what he does,” Huber said. “He gives you a good feeling because he listens to what you have to say. I know that in the future Saul will be very successful and will make a difference in the world.” Photography is one of Flores’ many passions within the art realm. He recently studied photography at the Penland School of Crafts in Asheville. “I love to capture images of urban life and nature,” Flores said. “My favorite pictures were the ones I took of the children in Mexico, because I can see their character through their expressions.” Flores believes that “design is the foundation for every system in the world.” He hopes to use his work with graphic design, graffiti art and photography after graduation to work with people to promote social change. He wants to start a design firm that incorporates all the different disciplines within design to positively impact society. The Farmers Market, a new sustainability project this year, is using Flores as their marketing designer. Flores is excited about this opportunity because he wants to “bring awareness to students about the importance of farmers and they role the play in our community.” Flores hopes that he can influence students to pursue their goals, even if they don’t fit conventional standards. He also thinks that students on campus should be more aware of what’s going on in the world. 

“People in America tend to follow routines that are set up for them,” Flores said. “They go to school and study so that they can get a job, but they don’t jump into the issues. College is a great opportunity to develop academically, socially and culturally, and to get involved in something bigger than they are. I just want students to know that there are other options besides the normal way of doing things.”