(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - March 30, 2012) - - - No one knows how far the world will take Robert Diamond, but the faculty of Columbia State Community College are betting it will be interesting, entertaining and interdisciplinary. The faculty selected Diamond out of a very competitive field of eight nominees as the recipient of the 2011-2012 Outstanding Student Award.

Diamond is earning his Associate of Science degree Saturday, May 5 from Columbia State and is also being recognized for academic excellence for his overall grade point average within two disciplines of mathematics and Spanish.

Diamond's lively sense of intellectual curiosity, creativity and passion for learning drew the attention of faculty where he is known to be a bright, funny, creative guy. Devoted to the sciences and learning in both exploratory and empirical paths, Diamond is also an accomplished singer, rapper and musician.

Notes one faculty member, Diamond's interest in literature goes well beyond the text. He delighted a World Literature class with his recreation of Don Quixote with an original rap musical interpretation. But there is a serious side to Diamond. His scholarship took him to Cal Tech's jet propulsion lab as a workshop participant, he perfected his Spanish in Guatemala, his short story was selected for publication in the college's 2012 Perceptions, he attended the Young Writers Workshop at the University of Virginia, and he has served as a peer leader at Columbia State.

Diamond currently resides in Summertown and is making a decision as to which college he will attend in the fall.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.