Meet Jacqueline Duarte of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Duarte.

Hi Jacqueline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m currently a graduate student at the University of Southern California studying PR/Advertising, and I just graduated in May 2025 with my BA in Communication and a minor in Cinematic Arts from USC. I’m also in my fifth and final year on the USC Women’s cross country and track teams.
I grew up about 40 minutes outside of LA and always dreamed about what it would be like to live in such a big, busy city. Now, five years later, I’m still in the heart of it and honestly in awe every day that this is my life.
Being a student-athlete takes up most of my time, but I’ve found so many passions outside of running too. I love being outdoors doing activities like hiking, biking, and exploring all of LA’s best coffee shops. I also have a huge love for film and storytelling, and I’m always excited to help create, produce, or jump into any project where I can contribute creatively.
My journey has really been about chasing big dreams, saying YES to new experiences, and slowly building a life that feels like a culmination of everything I love through being active, creative, and always a little adventurous.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say the road has been completely smooth. One of my biggest challenges was being a first-generation student at USC. I truly had no idea how college worked at first. I didn’t even know what “GE classes” meant, and I had to learn how to navigate everything on my own. I was fortunate to be comfortable asking for help and using the resources around me, but it was still far from easy.
Balancing academics and athletics was another major challenge. I cared deeply about my sport, but I also knew I was a student first. Being an athlete does not last forever, even for those who go professional, so I was always thinking about how to prepare for life beyond the track. Working two jobs every semester while balancing life as a student-athlete was a sacrifice I chose to make, and I’m incredibly grateful I had the determination to see it through.
I chose Communication because I was unsure of my exact career path, but I knew it would give me flexibility. That choice ended up opening many doors. Along the way, I’ve been supported by people who believed in me and helped create opportunities. I learned that sometimes all it takes is the courage to send a cold email, make a call, or ask for a coffee chat to begin building meaningful relationships.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a student-athlete actively pursuing a life in the arts, which is surprisingly rare in college athletics since so much of our time and energy goes into our sport. Running is actually where a lot of my creativity starts. There’s not much technical thinking involved once you’re locked in, so my mind is free to wander during a lot of training sessions. Most of my ideas are born on long runs, just me and the sound of my footsteps on the dirt paths of Griffith Park, with the occasional honk as I run near the I-5 in the early morning with my teammates.
Lately, I’ve found myself leaning more into producing roles. One of the projects I’m most proud of was from this past summer, when I worked with some of the world’s best runners and helped create storytelling videos for the production company I was with. Being part of telling those stories, especially in a space that connects both of my worlds, meant everything to me.
What sets me apart is that I’m a bit of a jack of all trades. Since I’m such a “yes” person, I’ve tried a little bit of everything. In this industry, that’s been a huge strength. I know how to communicate with different teams because I’ve been in their shoes. I understand what editors, directors, writers, and social media teams need because I’ve done those jobs too. As I continue to focus more on producing, it’s been really powerful to direct, write, produce, and manage social media, knowing that every role plays a part in shaping the final story.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Running, filmmaking, faith, and family are really what my life revolves around, but beyond that, I care deeply about working on projects that fulfill a greater purpose. Everything I create, I want it to leave some kind of lasting impact on someone.
That’s why I’m co-president, alongside my sister, of a K–8 run club in South Central LA through an organization called Run Your City. I’m also the Director of Athlete Relations for Exposition, a 501(c)(3) at my school that creates events to break the stigma around mental health. I’ve been involved in developing our upcoming documentary about this project, and I can tell it’s going to be one of the most meaningful and treasured projects of my career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: jacqui.duarte12
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jacquiduarte