Lucca Lorenzi is graduating with a B.A. in media, communications and journalism (MCJ) with an option in public relations and a minor in interdisciplinary media arts. He is the Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist for the College of Arts and Humanities.
“I have been teaching at Fresno State since August 1999, and I have only had a handful of students who are as committed, enthusiastic, and talented as Lucca. The quality of his work is exemplary, and his work ethic is inspiring,” said Professor Betsy Hays.
In 2017, Lorenzi underwent emergency surgeries to remove a Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma.
“I thought I had won the unlucky lottery,” said Lorenzi
Valley Children’s Hospital diagnosed the aggressive tumor, which was successfully removed by surgeons at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, saving his life. Because of this, Lorenzi started “Pack Up for Packard,” a project that collected art supplies and children’s books for the hospital’s art therapy program and library.
In 2019, Lorenzi was accepted into Fresno State’s Smittcamp Family Honors College and entered the MCJ program with an option in Public Relations. He was a multimedia student assistant for the Fresno State Transportation Institute and a writer for the Fresno County Historical Museum’s Italian Heritage Exhibit.
During the pandemic, he created “Thank You” videos for Lucile Packard donors, assisted with fundraising for the hospital’s virtual toy drive, created art videos for patients and served as a patient ambassador for Stanford’s 2021 Virtual Dance Marathon. In the summer of 2022, he worked in Washington D.C. in the office of Congressman Jim Costa, where he worked as an intern to the Press Secretary and studied Health Policy.
Lorenzi is in the College of Arts and Humanities Honors program and was an intern for the Art of Life Cancer Foundation. He received the Packard Champion for Children Award (2018-2020) and numerous other awards and achievements throughout his time at Fresno State.
“I can’t think of a better representative of MCJ, the College of Arts and Humanities or Fresno State than Lucca Lorenzi. You will not find someone with a better attitude than Lucca. He will always look at the sunny side, even when the sunny side is a challenge to find,” said Hays.
Dr. Nancy Van Leuven noted, “Lucca’s commitment to his studies and his community will reflect that of Fresno State; specifically, he will add value in terms of creativity, critical thinking, and a focus on cultural diversity and equity.”
Reflected on his experience, Lorenzi said, “I had not won an unlucky lottery, but rather, a second chance at life and an opportunity to spread the healing power of creativity.”
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 