BY MARIANA BENITEZ ARREOLA
The Westside Express
Hello, Westside Express readers! My name is Mariana Benitez Arreola, and I am excited to be joining the team of talented writers who report the news for this newspaper.
Growing up, I was raised in the city of San Jose, but every weekend I would commute to Dos Palos. In 2020, I decided to move to Dos Palos to complete my first year of my undergraduate degree online.
During my time in Dos Palos, I fell in love with the culture and people of the Central Valley. I learned to appreciate the time and dedication that it takes for individuals to plant, grow and harvest crops. I also was able to gain perspective on the differences between issues that affect the city versus rural towns.
I gained a lot of respect for the cultural and industrious contributions that small towns like Dos Palos, Firebaugh and Los Banos have made to California.
I recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I double majored in sociology and Latin American and Iberian studies. During my time as a student, I decided to pursue a professional writing minor with an emphasis in civic engagement.
The love I had for storytelling and the preservation of history is what ultimately brought me to journalism. I believe that journalists have the responsibility of reporting and spreading vital information for the wellbeing of the community.
Transparency and honesty are also necessary within the relationship of journalists and the public. That is why I aim to publish work that is accurate, while sharing the stories of individuals who often don’t have a voice or are not paid attention to.
Over the past four years, I have had the opportunity of writing and researching about themes surrounding immigration, international relations, politics and media. I also had the opportunity to study abroad in Argentina and Chile and present research relating to their constitutional changes and the acknowledgement of indigenous communities.
My journey with politics and international research has also evolved in Washington D.C., where I was able to intern for the social media department of Voto Latino and intern at a publication called Hola Cultura. These experiences have allowed me to become a better writer and learn how to do policy research for stories and nonprofit organizations.
During my time at The Westside Express, I plan to utilize all my research, writing and reporting skills to serve the community. I want to build connections and highlight local businesses, local policies and members of the community.
I believe that everyone deserves to have their voices heard in the local newspaper. So I am thrilled to work alongside other Westside Express reporters, and I’m excited about this new venture.
Thank you for the warm welcome, and stay tuned for more stories to come!
