Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero, a final-year student at the University of Washington, has been named the Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF) intern. Jimenez Romero is the first award recipient providing funding for paid internships. She will be working with the Washington Latino News and The Tribune News.
Jimenez Romero is pursuing a double major in journalism, public interest communication, law, societies, and justice. Additionally, she has chosen to minor in diversity and environmental studies. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Jimenez Romero is passionate about crafting human-interest narratives that highlight and empower underrepresented communities.
“As a daughter of immigrants, I grew up listening to narratives that weren’t reflective of my community. Journalism and the media play a huge role in uplifting diverse narratives and bringing their voices to the forefront,” said Jimenez Romero. “I’m excited to intern with Washington Latino News and learn how to use solutions journalism to uplift Latino voices in Washington state. In the future, I hope to become an investigative reporter covering immigration and undocumented communities.”
Jimenez Romero, a National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) member, will be working with Washington Latino News (WALN) beginning in April.
“Jacquelyn is already an accomplished journalist. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with her and play a small part in her journey to success,” said Hugo Balta, Publisher of WALN.
Balta, the twice president of NAHJ, is also an accredited solutions journalism trainer.
Since its inception in 2017, HZF has worked with NAHJ national and local professional chapters to identify worthy candidates for scholarships and free journalism camps.
Ignacio Dominguez-Coronado, a student at California Baptist University, was the winner of the 2023 Hortencia Zavala Foundation Scholarship. In 2021, HZF expanded its support of young journalists to include a journalism camp.
Covering race, ethnicity, and culture: a guideline for fair and accurate storytelling, led by Balta, is a free 12-week course designed to go beyond the inverted pyramid of basic news writing in examining the terminology, usage, and word choice of stories, providing greater visibility and understanding of deep-rooted inequities in all aspects of society.
SUGGESTION: Sazón De WA: Don De La Colombiana
by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero
Jimenez Romero was chosen as ProPublica’s 2023 Class of Emerging Reporters Program. She was the Legislative Reporting Intern at The Seattle Times, has worked as the diversity beat writer for the university’s The Daily newspaper, and has written for Capitol Hill Seattle and International Examiner.
Here is a list of Jimenez Romero’s work:
New woman-owned Puyallup business hopes to share Latino culture with Puyallup community
Aquí Mercado Creates A Sense Of Community And Belonging
Washington Latino News (WALN) is part of the Latino News Network (LNN). Part of LNN’s mission is to provide young journalists with real work experiences and mentoring.
The Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF) is a not-for-profit organization supporting students with scholarships, journalism camps, and paid internships.
Please support the HZF’s mission by making a donation via PayPal, GoFundMe, or Zelle (the account is under HZScholarship17@gmail.com).