Daniela Mendez is 17 years old and is a Jim Schmidt Fellow. Daniela is Guatemalan, and lives in Oswego County. She is a proud member of the Justice Organization of Youth.

A student at G. Ray Bodley High School, Daniela participates in a program called New Vision Specialized Careers, which allows her to take college-level courses. Daniela plans to pursue higher education, with an interest in the business field. She has job-shadowed at Oswego Business and Community Relations and the Oswego Health Department in pursuit of learning about her career interest.