Laura Sandoval
Managing Editor, Photographer
Laura Sandoval is a fourth year Chicana/o/x Studies major and has a minor in Workplace and Labor Studies. She is hoping to capture stories and their beauty along with raising awareness on the many issues that are targeting the Latinx community, from mental health to the many inequalities they face.
email: [email protected]
Candy Cabral
Content Editor
Candy is a 3rd year Life Science major and Chicana/o studies minor from Venice, CA. During her free time she enjoys watching late night talk shows, spending time with friends and family, and trying new food. She aspires to serve her community and inform them of their rights. You can find her shopping, organizing her planner, watching UCLA sport games, and studying.
email: [email protected]
Alondra Castanon
Copy Editor, Writer
Alondra Castanon is a second year English major from the Bay Area. She enjoys nostalgic writing, going to concerts, visiting new places, and travel photography + writing. She is a Chicana feminist who advocates for gender equality, social justice, and the animal rights movement.
email: [email protected]
Irlanda Mora
Radio Coordinator
Irlanda Mora is a third year from Pomona, CA. She’s passionate about social justice and advocating for marginalized communities. In her free time, she reads about urban development. Specifically, about the impact of development projects on the members of the communities they intend to ‘revitalize’ She also enjoys a good laugh! Ha!
email: [email protected]
Daisy Soto
Writer
Daisy Soto is a second year student hailing from La Puente, CA. She loves learning about different cultures and is making it her mission to try food from every country. On her free time, catch her watching The Office for the millionth time.
email: [email protected]
Alex Yaretzi Guzmán
Illustrator and Photographer
Alex is a fourth year art major, minoring in Chicano studies. When she’s not making things with her hands and contemplating on artistic endeavors, you can catch her spending time with people she loves and skipping to the newest adventure (or napping).
email: [email protected]
Elizabeth Garcia
Content Editor
Elizabeth Garcia is a fourth year Political Science major and history minor that was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. When she is not busy finishing schoolwork or working, she is most likely trying some new bomb LA restaurant, falling at concerts, or practicing guitar. She also loves to discuss and educate herself about different social issues regarding feminism, racism, homophobia, and animal rights, and she hopes to further this discussion as a part of La Gente.
email: [email protected]
Maria Amaya Morfin
Content Editor
Maria es una estudiante de cuarto año en estudios de desarrollo internacional. Originaria de México, aspira a convertirse en médica. Es amante de los postres y fanática de la serie "Criminal Minds." Está interesada en explorar temas de género, educación y el medio ambiente que afectan a la comunidad Latinx en los Estados Unidos y América Latina.
email: [email protected]
Israel Cedillo
Editor-in-Chief
Israel Cedillo is a fourth year Art Major with a wide range of interests from environmental science to community organizing to going out for midnight tacos. He is looking forward to tackling the intersectional issues within the Latinx community and making new resources for our Bruins and LA locals to have a voice.
email: [email protected]
Kathy Castillo Escutia
Assistant Content Editor, Writer
Kathy Castillo Escutia was born in Los Angeles and raised in Sun Valley, CA. She is the youngest and the first in her family to go to college. Despite coming from a low-income household, Kathy‘s persistence allowed her to achieve "the impossible", which she could not have done without the shining example of her hard working family. She’s a strong believer of the proverb "Where there‘s a will, there’s a way", and she hopes to inspire youth from disadvantaged communities to attain a higher education.
Kathy Castillo Escutia nació en Los Ángeles y se crió en Sun Valley, California. Ella es la más joven y la primera en su familia en ir a la universidad. A pesar de provenir de un hogar de bajos ingresos, la persistencia de Kathy le permitió lograr "lo imposible", lo que no podría haber hecho sin el brillante ejemplo de su familia trabajadora. Ella cree firmemente en el proverbio "Donde hay voluntad, hay una manera", y espera inspirar a los jóvenes de comunidades desfavorecidas para que obtengan una educación universitaria.
email: [email protected]
Alex Ortega
Photographer
Alex is a first year art major at UCLA who grew up in the Northeast Los Angeles community of Highland Park. She is passionate about photography, writing, and being an advocate for social justice. In her free time she loves learning about dinosaurs, creating art, and practicing magic tricks.
email: [email protected]
Abigail Duran Hernandez
Writer
Abigail is a fourth-year student at UCLA studying English and Film who lives inside the world of journalism and entertainment. She hopes to articulate the words and dreams of the unspoken to platforms where change and advancement can become possible. She keeps her dreams secret but her hopes are shared with the rest of her family who continue to uplift her passed the hatred of the world and into a universe of hope and love.
email: [email protected]
Nicole Parra
Illustrator
Nicole is a first year Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major and Latin American Studies minor from the Bay Area, CA. Her interests include animals and plants, visiting museums and quirky shops, and exploring new cuisines. She is passionate about creating illustrations to bring awareness to causes that are important to her, including human rights and environmental issues, and she hopes to further create artistic content for La Gente to enhance the experiences and stories of the Latinx community.
email: [email protected]
Angela Vargas
Copy Editor
Angela Vargas is a Sociology student who is looking into a Labor & Workplace Studies minor. She thinks it’s important to increase visibility for the silent struggles Latinx people face in their daily lives. She hopes to be a light both in her writing and her actions. Besides writing, she enjoys being surrounded by good company and hugging every dog on sight.
email: [email protected]
Melissa Diaz
Copy Editor
Melissa Díaz is a second year Political Science major from Venice, California. She is very passionate about advocating for social justice from an intersectional standpoint. Through her writing, she hopes to give a platform to those voice that have been erased from history, are misrepresented, and marginalized. She enjoys playing the violin, the guitar, writing, and practicing yoga.
email: [email protected]
Xochilt Chavez
Social Media Analyst
Xochilt Chavez is a third year English-Creative Writing major and Film minor from Watsonville, Ca. She enjoys writing poetry, watching X-Files, and filming/editing videos for the UCLA’s Comedy Club. Her favorite poet at the moment is José Olivarez and her dream is to live in the mountains and raise three goats. Xochilt is also starting a band with Ashley Huendo, Candy Vega, and Laura Sandoval, (fellow La Gente writers), so stay tuned for updates on La Gente’s social media sites.
email: [email protected]
Rebecca Gutierrez
Copy Editor
Rebecca Gutierrez is a second-year English major, from Highland Park. Rebecca’s lack of hand-eye coordination helped her develop her love for romance novels, netflix and pugs.
email: [email protected]
Ashley Huendo
Spanish Translator/Staff Writer
Ashley Huendo is a 2nd year History major and Digital Humanities minor. She hopes to use her voice to raise awareness on topics that aren’t discussed in the community. When she’s not working, she can be found digging through archives and making Spotify playlists. She’s also starting a band with Xochitl Chavez, Candy Cabral, and Laura Sandoval.
email: [email protected]
Rebecca Gutierrez
Copy Editor
Rebecca Gutierrez is a second-year English major, from Highland Park. Rebecca’s lack of hand-eye coordination helped her develop her love for romance novels, Netflix and pugs.
email: [email protected]
Jessica Martinez
Photographer
Jessica Martinez is a third year political science major with a concentration in race, ethnicity, and politics. During her free time, she enjoys portrait, landscape, and concert photography. On her free time, she enjoys listening to dream pop Latinx artists.
email: [email protected]
Amara Higuera Hopping
Visuals Editor
Amara is currently a fourth year Art major graduating in spring 2019. She is born and raised in Montecito Heights, Los Angeles. Amara uses photography and video to document and explore the histories of people and places that have shaped her. She is interested in where she and her community go from here.
email: [email protected]
Myrka Celeste Vega
Social Media Coordinator
Myrka Celeste Vega is a third year International Development Studies and Geography major from the Inland Empire. You can typically find Myrka thrifting or drinking coffee. Myrka is our social media coordinator- shameless plug- follow our social media @lagentenewsmag on FB, IG, and Twitter.
email: [email protected]
Alvaro Hernandez
Illustrator
Alvaro Hernandez is a first year from Kentucky who is majoring in Business Econ and an intended minor in Music Industry. In his free time, he is usually listening to Spotify (#notsponsored), Youtube, or the UCLA radio (plug). He enjoys learning about upcoming trends, going on evening runs, and eating carbs with avocado. He looks forward to bringing about more awareness on the elderly community and the marginalized demographics through photos and words.
email: [email protected]
Jason Gonzalez
Photographer
Jason Gonzalez is a 3rd-year Political Science major at UCLA from Costa Mesa, CA. He plans on going to law school and focusing on immigration or labor law. On his free time, he enjoys surfing, going to concerts, and shooting landscape photography.
email: [email protected]