Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Arianna Roman Leads with Culture, Creativity and Confidence

The senior English major reflects on her Black and Puerto Rican identity, campus leadership and plans to inspire a new generation of writers. 

BALTIMORE — Arianna Roman’s Coppin State University experience is difficult to sum up in a single title. 

The senior English major and dance minor from Prince George’s County, Maryland, spent two years on the Royal Court, serving as Miss Sophomore 2024–2025 and Miss Junior 2025–2026. She played goalie for the women’s lacrosse team and volunteered throughout Baltimore, providing supplies to a women’s shelter, serving meals to people in need, cleaning up trash and planting trees. 

Today, Roman serves as president of both the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Latinx UNIDOS. She is also the poetry editor for Ma’at’s Feather Literary Magazine. 

Her involvement reflects the confidence she draws from her identity as a Black and Puerto Rican woman. 

“My Hispanic heritage means everything to me,” Roman said. “Puerto Rico is such a strong place. Whether it’s the Taíno Natives, the women who were treated as test subjects for medicine, or the amazing musicians and actors, Puerto Rico, its culture and its history are so inspirational. The more I learn, the prouder I am.” 

Roman said she carries the legacy of those who came before her into everything she does. Much of her connection to Puerto Rico came through her father, who moved from San Juan when he was 10 years old and later faced generational trauma and racist bullying. Although he is no longer part of her life, she remains grateful for the lessons and freedoms he gave her. 

One quality she especially values in Puerto Rican culture is its unmistakable pride. 

“You will always know when someone is Puerto Rican because they will be covered in the flag,” she said. “I wear my flag as a necklace, and it’s one of my favorites. My dad has a tattoo of the flag on his arm. That pride in where we came from cannot be matched.” 

Roman has carried that confidence into the classroom. She credits Coppin’s English program with changing the way she understands literature, film and the world around her.

“I can’t watch movies the same way because I am always thinking about literary themes and the deeper symbolism that is hidden in everything,” she said. 

Her time at Coppin has also taught her to value authenticity, even when others may not understand or accept it. 

“I’ve learned from the people here that it is so much better to be your authentic self and deal with people not liking it rather than pretending and having no substance of your own,” Roman said. 

After graduation, she hopes to publish some of the books she is writing. Her long-term goal is to become a successful author and inspire a new generation of writers. 

Roman believes strong reading, writing and critical-thinking skills are becoming even more important as people rely increasingly on artificial intelligence. 

“Knowing how to formulate your own thoughts and put them in a way that others can understand is vital in life,” she said. 

Hispanic Heritage Month gives Roman an opportunity to celebrate the different parts of her identity while challenging the idea that a person cannot be both Black and Latino. 

“Some people think that being Hispanic or Latino means you are not Black and that you can’t be both,” she said. “I am proud of every part of me, Black and Latina, and one does not take away from the other. I am a proud Black Latina woman.” 

Her message to Eagle Nation is equally direct. 

“Be who you are and be proud of where you came from and where you are going,” Roman said. “Don’t let anyone tell you who you should be or who you are. Only you know who you are, so be proud of that. Annoy other people with how much you love yourself.”