My Why
Journalism is what inspires me to connect to others, listen, learn new things and elevate stories that highlight our shared humanity. It is a passion, a calling and something that gives me joy. I don’t take my reporting lightly. I feel committed to all those who entrust me with their lived experience, whether I agree with their views or not. And yes, sometimes, I also write from my own life experience.
Latina youth leader speaks out ahead of U.S. elections
Published in the Fulcrum, October 2024 — Sindy Carballo-Garcia is the youth group coordinator at tenants and Workers United. The 22-year-old arrived in Arlandria from El Salvador with her parents when she was 8 years old and has lived there since. She is now married and planning to vote in the November elections.
“I want politicians to prioritize schools, making sure that students feel safe and are supported,” she says. “Students should not walk into schools, pass through a metal detector and feel surveilled. They need caring adults. The whole purpose of schools is to build community and not to push young people aside.”
Small-business owner prioritizes immigration in this year's election
Published on Fulcrum US, September 2024 — The Latino community is Maryland's fastest-growing demographic. According to Census Bureau estimates, in 2023, Latinos accounted for 11.5 percent of the state's population.
"First and foremost, we care about immigration. We want people who have been here for generations and have contributed to growing the economy to be legalized," he says. Sactic, like other residents of Langley Park I spoke to, expressed concerns about new immigrants not being as hard-working as immigrants from previous generations and more likely to engage in criminal activities.
Build Communities, Not Women’s Prisons
Published on Medfeminiswiya, May 2024 — Formerly incarcerated women from across the United States, together with their families and allies, marched this past Wednesday in the nation’s capital a few weeks ahead of Mother’s Day in the U.S., with an urgent message for President Joe Biden: bring moms home for Mother’s Day, and stop building new federal prisons for women and girls. Invest the money in communities instead so, they can thrive and heal.
“Women don’t belong in cages,” said Sharon “BigShay” Smith, a member of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls (National Council) and a formerly incarcerated mother herself. “They belong home, with their families.”
Foreign Service Officers Reflect on Global Health Diplomacy
Health-focused development programs have been a core activity at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) since the agency’s establishment in 1961. This article highlights snippets of conversations on what inspired US foreign service officers to embark on a career in global health. This story appeared in the U.S. Foreign Service Journal, Afsa magazine, 2017.
Aid workers, do you know what your pension is funding?
Some people dedicate their lives to eradicating poverty and promoting peace, but do they know what their pensions support? The Guardian, 2015.