The SPEL team says adiós to a successful fall semester
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That’s a wrap! As we settle in for the holidays and school semesters come to an end, so does Hola Cultura’s fall 2024 Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (SPEL).
On Dec. 3, the team said their goodbyes as they reflected on a semester of storytelling, professional development and guest speakers. As it has become tradition, interns and fellows unmuted their mics and got loud as they each other bid farewell for the last time in 2024.
This semester, the program hosted about 20 high school and college interns in three teams: Arts & Humanities, Society & Culture and Copy Editing, the last of which edits and fact-checks stories produced by the other two teams. Each team is led by at least one fellow to guide the interns and provide skills-building assignments in weekly story labs.
Michelle Benitez joined the SPEL team as an intern in the spring 2023 semester, completing two intern semesters before becoming a fellow for the Copy Editing team in spring 2024.
“Just having this leadership opportunity has helped me prepare for my career so much,” says Benitez. “I’ve gained so much experience working on the style guide and helping train interns, and now I’m able to work on all these new opportunities [with Hola Cultura] that will pad my resume and help me find a new internship or path in my career moving forward.”
With support from their fellows, interns had the opportunity to further Hola Cultura’s mission of celebrating the rich Latine culture in D.C. by reporting on stories, from the preservation of the Unity Mural (a historically significant Latine mural in the Adams Morgan neighborhood at risk of demolition) to the nonprofit EducArte’s mission to use dance and music to amplify Brazilian culture within the Greater Washington area. Interns were given the freedom to report on topics they felt passionate about, with some sharing that the story-writing process helped them feel even closer to their community.
“My favorite story that I worked on this semester was a feature for the salsa band Orquesta Manplesa,” says Olivia Olson, an intern on the Arts & Humanities team and recent graduate from American University. “It was a great experience going to see the band in my local neighborhood, Mount Pleasant, to listen to their amazing sound and to see how well received they are by my community.”
The SPEL team also heard from guest speakers this semester, each sharing unique experiences within their careers and lives and offering support and guidance for SPEL interns and fellows who are just starting their own careers. Eric Falquero and Teresa Frontado, co-founders of The 51st, a new D.C. local news site, were among the guests who visited the team this fall, along with Samuel Larreal, an early-career journalist working at NOTUS, an online news site focused on politics.
Through a survey, interns shared the skills they felt they improved on the most in our weekly story labs, with 67% of respondents saying their research skills were most improved and 44% saying their writing, interviewing and public speaking skills all improved as a result of their work this semester.
The survey also asked which part of SPEL was a favorite amongst the team, with one intern sharing, “the editing process was [mine]. It is certainly tedious, but I’ve learned a lot about the journalistic writing style and have felt my writing improve along the way… I [also] love the creative freedom of the program.”
“Never be afraid to look for more opportunities while you’re in SPEL,” says Benitez. “Reaching out and putting yourself out there will always look great and help you in the long run. Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone — your team will support you.”
Thank you to all of the interns, fellows and guest speakers for your work in making this SPEL semester one of personal and professional growth! We’re already looking forward to the spring semester, which runs from Jan. 28 to April 29, 2025.
– Story by Matthew Macgugan
– Copy edited by Michelle Benitez
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