After-School All-Stars Philadelphia & Camden would like to highlight the successes of De-Maarii Diaz.  De-Maarii is an 8th grader at Conwell Middle Magnet School in Philadelphia, PA. At the end of the academic year 2019-2020, De-Maarii was recognized for her efforts in the classroom, unwavering attendance, and exemplary participation in our after-school program by being awarded the After-School All-Stars Philadelphia & Camden Student of the Year award.

De-Maarii’s teachers, classmates, and friends talk about her talents and perseverance in overcoming new challenges. Because of these talents and hard work, she was nominated and selected to participate in the 2020 All-Stars and TikTok Summer Songwriting Academy. She was one of only 13 students across the country to be selected. The Academy allowed De-Maarii to showcase her unique voice and perspective through the creation of original lyrics with the mentoring and coaching of music industry experts.

De-Maarii completed the TikTok Summer Songwriting Academy in July 2020. While De-Maarii was participating in the Academy, she was also working through her 8th grade career exploration internship, where she learned how to write a resume and received coaching sessions on leadership and social skills.