I started my television journalism career in central Nebraska, where I launched the first Spanish news webcast—reaching communities across the state and beyond. After seven years at the station, I was offered an opportunity to work for a top 20 market duopoly in Portland, Oregon, that housed the affiliates of ABC News and Univision. As a bilingual journalist, the focus of my reporting was on issues that impacted the Latino and minority communities in Oregon and southwest Washington.
After moving from Oregon back to Nebraska and taking a year off work to care for my dad, I was looking to continue growing my skills in communications at an organization that not only advocated for diverse communities and issues but also highlighted good, positive stories. I was raised in Nebraska, and I know there are so many great stories to be highlighted, many of them in small towns like Lexington, where I currently live. I’m grateful to be a small part of the bigger picture that the Center plays in rural Nebraska.
I’m proud to say I come from immigrant parents who, when they arrived in the U.S., worked long, hard hours in the broccoli, strawberry, and lettuce fields in California from sunrise to sundown. They later worked in the meatpacking plant in Lexington and even opened a small business of their own—continuing to work hard to give their family a better life, which is what much of rural America is doing despite the hardships in today’s world.
Nebraska’s sunrises and sunsets are just a few of the many things I missed while living in Oregon. I love spending time with my family and our two pups. I also enjoy reading a great book when I get the chance, and always look forward to watching a good soccer game with my dad.
Hablo español.
