April 20, 2026
It’s no coincidence that Hampden-Sydney Trustee Rodolfo “Rudy” Diaz ’02 has found success in logistics. In that industry, you must know where you are coming from, where you want to go and how to best navigate challenges along the way.
“Compared to most Hampden-Sydney students, my educational journey wasn’t typical,” Diaz shares. “I grew up in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. My parents divorced when I was young. My mother, who immigrated from Mexico, didn’t have a high school diploma. Getting a good education was my top priority.”
Thanks to a connection established by the “I Have A Dream” Foundation with a private boarding school, Diaz received a four-year scholarship to Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was there he met James “Jay” Hight, his beloved English teacher who became his mentor and remained his dear friend. Diaz’s companies are named in his honor.
When it came time for college, a coach at Virginia Episcopal suggested Hampden-Sydney. “I only looked at a few schools because you had to pay for college applications, and money was limited. As it turned out, I made the right decision to come to Hampden-Sydney, but it was hard at first.
“As someone of Mexican descent, I looked and sounded different. There were cultural and economic differences. The student body was five times larger than my high school. I felt very alone,” Diaz remembers.
After some soul-searching, things began to turn around when Diaz changed his mindset. “Someone had been generous enough to provide the means for me to attend Hampden-Sydney, and I needed to make the best of it,” he continues. “I started to get involved in intramural sports, Glee Club, other activities. I got a job as a weight room monitor, and I began making friends.”
The small class sizes and liberal arts curriculum helped. “I love to write. I took such interesting classes—music theory, astronomy, theatre. My professors Dr. Tony Carilli and Dr. Peter Mitias in economics and Dr. Evan Davis in rhetoric were like friends. It’s amazing that some of them are still there, and I graduated 23 years ago!”
As an economics major, Diaz planned to pursue a career in finance after moving back to Los Angeles. He received a full-time apprenticeship with a community bank but declined the offer for a job working in logistics. He’s never looked back. Diaz is the founder and CEO of Hight Logistics and Hight Electric, located in Long Beach, California. The companies provide zero-emissions drayage services, which reflect Diaz’s passion for safeguarding the environment.
Recognizing the opportunities he was provided through others’ generosity, Diaz has funded two Hampden-Sydney scholarships—the James Hight Scholarship Fund and the Rudy Diaz Scholarship Fund—to offer deserving students the same. His friend Vice President for College Advancement Hugh Haskins ’01 encouraged Diaz to consider joining the board a few years ago. “I resisted at first, not sure I wanted to add anything else to my plate,” he confesses. “I am so glad I did. I’m honored to be around a smart group of professionals, who care deeply about the College and its students. It has inspired me to do more.”
That “more” is a significant gift to renovate Kirby Field House, which will be renamed Diaz Arena. His gift is part of the “It’s time, good men” comprehensive campaign.
“Someone recently asked what I wanted my legacy to be,” Diaz says. “Having my name on something, especially a college campus, shows others from my background that if you work hard and strive for better, you can make it possible for others to have the same chances. I was a kid from Watts—one of the poorest areas of the United States—and with hard work and opportunities made possible by the generosity of others, I am now able to give back in a way I never dreamed.”
Recognizing the challenges today’s college graduates are facing in the job market, Diaz sees the value of the Hampden-Sydney alumni network and the opportunities its members can provide.
“We are living in a changing world filled with uncertainty. It’s been said, ‘Nature is unmerciful to the unprepared.’ What is the world going to look like in the next 20-30 years?” he wonders. “I encourage the brotherhood of Hampden-Sydney to invest in the College and the students in any way they can to continue producing good men and good citizens. It doesn’t have to be a large amount. I know firsthand that every gift makes a difference.”