SPEL Team | Equipo de SPEL

Christine MacDonald

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Christine is an investigative reporter, who has had a long career writing for top-ranked newspapers, such as the Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News and Washington Post. As the Executive Director, she leads the organization’s Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (SPEL), a weekly story lab that brings together high school and college interns and young adult fellows to produce articles and special research projects published on the Hola Cultura’s website.

Arts & Humanities Team

Jessica Mendez-Perez

Editorial Intern

Jessica (she/they) is a third-year Calvin Coolidge High School student from Washington, D.C. She is currently enrolled in general studies courses at college and is considering pursuing a career in computer science or neurology. Jessica enjoys creating both traditional and digital art. She also likes coding, animation, debate and Legos. In the future, she wants to pursue art on the side while working in one of her areas of interest.

Madison Forrest

Editorial Intern

Madison (she/her) is a journalist based in Boston. She is originally from Miami, Florida, where she grew up speaking Spanish with her Cuban family. Madison just graduated from Boston University with a major in journalism and a minor in Spanish. She enjoys writing feature pieces about arts and culture. She also has a jewelry business and enjoys all things creative.

Valeria Lopez

Editorial Intern

Valeria (she/her) is a first-generation graduate from the University of North Texas, where she recently earned her degree in journalism. She was born and raised in Texas and plans to remain in the state to work with its prominent Latine population in the future. She strives to bring quality coverage to the community and hopes to do her part in contributing to a better, more authentic representation of Latinx people in the media industry. Valeria aspires to make a genuine impact through her writing, which is one of her biggest motivators as she launches her professional career. During her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching shows and running. She looks forward to expanding her skill set as she works alongside the Hola Cultura team.

Society & Culture Team

Joaquín Selva

Editorial Fellow

Joaquín (he/him/él) is a writer, editor, and web and accessibility professional. His birthplace and fatherland is Nicaragua and his motherland is Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He has co-authored academic papers, written articles for Positive Psychology, Reverb Magazine and Yes! Magazine; and written tabletop RPGs and supplements. He has also edited documents ranging from academic papers and government documents to applications, resumes and fiction novellas. His interests include games, history, language, music, science, sports and all things related to justice. As the editorial fellow for the Society & Culture Team, he is excited to help Hola Cultura tell essential stories that often go untold while simultaneously learning from the journalists who will shape today and tomorrow’s narratives.

Asher Rosen

Editorial Intern

Asher (he/him) is a junior at American University studying cultural anthropology. He is from Hudson Valley, New York, where his love for hiking, swimming and enjoying nature was born. There, he also discovered his passion for learning about cultures, communities and social systems, which drew him to D.C. and the anthropology field, allowing these passions to evolve and expand. Asher is also a volunteer, ultimate frisbee player, drummer, cook, reader, traveler and much more. He has many goals and is unsure of where his endeavors will lead him in the future, but he feels devoted to amplifying underrepresented voices and supporting marginalized communities through action, awareness and understanding. He is excited to put these into practice with Hola Cultura this summer.

Benjamin Mack

Editorial Intern

Benjamin (he/him) is a Junior at Jackson-Reed High School in Northwest Washington, D.C. He is bilingual, and in his free time enjoys being outside and playing sports. Aside from that, he enjoys traveling and meeting new people. Growing up in D.C., he learned to value the importance of reporting and fact-based journalism — specifically as it pertains to politics and society. He is currently taking a wide variety of Advanced Placement classes, including: AP Spanish Language, AP English Language, AP Biology and AP U.S. History. He is a state champion in entrepreneurship and will go to the national competition for Future Business Leaders of America this summer in San Antonio. Benjamin loves learning languages and uses his bilingual skills to further appreciate and interact with the distinct cultures and societies — both of which have led to his desire to study international relations and business in college — that he sees in his city.

Eva Leon

Editorial Intern

Eva (she/her) is from Oneonta, New York, and currently studies journalism and world languages at Ithaca College. Her passion for journalism and storytelling stems from a love of connecting with people and hearing about their unique experiences. Having grown up traveling often to Lima, Peru, and living with her grandparents, Eva became fluent in Spanish and established a deep connection to her Hispanic heritage. One of her biggest career goals is to serve Spanish-speaking communities across the United States by continuing to work in bilingual journalism. Outside of writing and reporting, Eva enjoys playing her guitar, dancing salsa and spending time in nature.

Noelle O’Brien

Editorial Intern

Noelle (she/her) is a rising junior at Virginia Tech. Originally from Philadelphia, now living in Los Angeles for the summer, and recently returned from a sophomore year abroad in Spain, Noelle loves traveling and seeing new places and cultures. She has a passion for language that drives her toward everything from studying how the brain processes language in her neuroscience major to studying Spanish and pursuing her love of writing. At Virginia Tech, she’s a tutor in the University Writing Center, a volunteer at the local YMCA teaching English classes, and will soon be the director of the Spanish House in the intercultural living learning program, Mozaiko. Her hobbies include journaling, making yogurt bowls worthy of a Food Network feature and searching for books to add to her collection of poetry in foreign languages.

Social Media Team

Jeannetth Camilo

Social Media Fellow

Jeannetth (she/her) is a graphic designer born and raised in Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her design approach focuses on community building and creating positive social impact. As a first-generation Mexican American, she is passionate about using design to amplify the voices and stories of her community. Beyond graphic design, she has been actively involved in nonprofit work for more than a year as a development and social media assistant.

Amanda Bocanegra

Social Media Intern

Amanda (she/her) is a proud Houston, Texas native. She is a recent graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown with a degree in technical communications, specializing in digital media. Passionate about authentic storytelling and visual design, Amanda enjoys creating content that reflects a brand’s vision while making a meaningful impact. She previously contributed to the development of a digital magazine for a nonprofit organization, where she strengthened her passion for storytelling, and she is always eager to challenge herself creatively while continuing to grow her skills as a designer. Amanda is passionate about amplifying Latine voices in her community and learning more about her culture through meaningful work and collaboration, with the goal of using her creativity to make a positive difference both personally and professionally. In her free time, Amanda enjoys songwriting, dancing and spending quality time with her family and three dogs.

Jennifer Lopez

Social Media Intern

Jennifer (she/her) is an incoming sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying business with strong interests in marketing, storytelling and community engagement. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she is passionate about how media, branding and digital communication can be used to connect with communities and amplify underrepresented voices. Jennifer enjoys creating social media and outreach materials, exploring integrated marketing and brand strategy and learning more about audience engagement through storytelling. Outside of school and internships, she enjoys creative projects, design, music and exploring culture-centered media. In the future, she hopes to continue building experience in integrated marketing, media and mission-driven communications while creating opportunities that support and empower Latine communities.

Rocio Gonzalez

Social Media Intern

Rocio (she/her) was raised in a Hispanic household in Soledad, California. A few years ago, she moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a minor in design thinking. Rocio recently got married and moved to Stockton, California, and is finishing her degree online. Through Rocio’s experience at BYU, she has gained a passion for mass media and digital communications. Her hobbies have recently been in art, graphic design, illustration and photography. Her mother is from Oaxaca, Mexico, and her father is from Chiapas, Mexico. Being a first-generation student, her goal is to use her skills to make an impact in the Hispanic/Latine community. Rocio also has her own social media platform and hopes to become skilled at storytelling.

Oral History Team

Chabelli Hernandez

Editorial Intern

Chabelli, also known as Latina Bohemian (she/her), is a creative writer, poet and arts advocate from Greater Boston. Raised in the multicultural Merrimack Valley, her pursuits are informed by diversity and dedicated to amplifying BIPOC voices. This will be Chabelli’s fourth semester at Hola Cultura as she pursues her studies at the University of Massachusetts. A first-generation student, her goal is to inspire others, especially those with similar backgrounds, to share their unique stories. “Storytelling is the gateway towards connectivity; I choose to embrace every story told.”

Marvin Juarez

Editorial Intern

Marvin (he/him) is in his fifth year at the University of California, Davis. His areas of study are English, cinema, digital media and professional writing, with an emphasis on creative writing. Oakland-raised, first-generation college student with immigrant roots, Marvin aspires to write novels, teach in academia, and uplift underrepresented communities through storytelling.

Melody Marichalar

Editorial Intern

Melody (she/her) is a journalism and creative writing student in her final year at the beautiful Western Washington University. At the core of her practice lies a deep passion for meeting new people and learning about different cultures. She hopes to take this skill of hers around the world and write about people she meets on her travels. Being raised by an immigrant father has given Melody a deep sense of love and appreciation for her Hispanic culture. During her time at Hola Cultura, she hopes to connect with her culture in a new way while inviting readers to immerse themselves. When she’s not writing, you can find Melody expressing herself through fashion, creating art while listening to vinyls and exploring the natural beauty around her.

Roberto Rodriguez-Paz

Editorial and Social Media Intern

Roberto (he/him/his) graduated from Lesley University in 2024 with a BFA in digital filmmaking. During his time in university, he engaged with different aspects of filmmaking, including writing, directing, producing, editing and sound recording. Being born in Boston, Mass., to a Guatemalan mother and Salvadoran father and living within Greater Boston, he wants to bring his experiences and cultural background into different projects while also having fun with multiple genres and forms of content, such as narrative, documentary, commercials, etc. He is looking forward to collaborating with individuals who have similar aspirations while working with Hola Cultura and gaining new opportunities and expertise.

Copy Editing Team

Valerie Izquierdo

Copy Editing Fellow

Born and raised in Miami Beach, FL, Valerie (she/her) is a freelance journalist, writer and editor based in Gainesville, FL. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida, Valerie has dedicated her craft to advocating for social justice, the environment, and cultural topics, with a focus on human-interest stories. She has written, edited and translated pieces for the Sierra Club, local sustainability-based magazine Frothy, and additional digital and print publications. Professionally, she aspires toward editorial work, hoping to pursue copy editing in print or digital publishing or newsrooms. Valerie also aims to highlight the stories and voices of underrepresented groups and communities to bring unity and awareness toward crucial topics. Her hobbies include pursuing various forms of art, listening to music and being involved in community work.

Channing Matha

Copy Editing Intern

Channing (she/her) is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and she currently attends Ball State University as a journalism major with a minor in creative writing. There is so much value in words and communication, which is why she aspires to be a copy editor or an editor in some manner. Channing would love to make a career out of assisting others in communicating what they want — whether factual or fictional. Effective communication allows for effective understanding. She wants to make a difference in the way people’s words are written and therefore perceived for the most optimal result. In Channing’s free time, she loves to read, write and draw.

Findlay Drabant

Copy Editing Intern

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Findlay (she/her) recently graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with an undergrad degree in journalism, a minor in creative writing and a certificate in editing and publishing. She hopes to pursue a career in copy editing novels part time while going back to school to get her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. She now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Findlay enjoys running and biking along the Mississippi River, experimenting with new recipes and sticking her nose in a good book.