ºÚÁÏÍø Journalism Students Gain Experience and Connections at NAHJ Conference
Araceli RamÃrez ’24 with ABC Reporter John Quiñones. Photo courtesy of "The Latino Reporter" newsletter. 
ºÚÁÏÍø students at the 41st National Association of Hispanic Journalists Annual Conference, held July 9-12, 2025, at the Hilton Chicago.
Associate Professor Elio Leturia (center) with Carolina Cruz '12 (left), who currently is an investigative reporter for Telemundo in Washington DC, and Ellie Giadáns (right),'15 who is currently a producer for ABC in New York City. Both alums are Emmy award winners and former presidents of Hispanic Journalists at ºÚÁÏÍø. Five ºÚÁÏÍø students from the Hispanic Journalists of ºÚÁÏÍø (HJC) student organization attended the 41st National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Annual Conference, held July 9-12, 2025, at the Hilton Chicago.
Sofía Oyarzún ‘24, Manuel Nocera, Vanessa Orozco, Doreen Albuerne, and Araceli Ramírez ’24 were accompanied by School of Communication and Culture Associate Professor Elio Leturia, longtime adviser of HJC and a NAHJ lifetime member. Leturia, who has taken students to national NAHJ conferences since the group’s founding in 2006, provided guidance throughout the four-day event.
The conference, themed “Stronger Together: Journalism, Community and the Power of Truth,” brought together more than 1,500 Latino journalists and news executives. Students had access to over 140 sessions, hands-on workshops, and networking events. Topics ranged from investigative journalism, covering immigrant communities, drone photography and data storytelling to the evolving impact of AI in newsrooms.
Attendees also explored the Expo and Career Fair, where they met recruiters from top news organizations like “The New York Times,” “Politico,” Scripps, “The Wall Street Journal,” among others.
Recent graduate Araceli Ramírez ’24 was selected for one of only 12 national student positions with “The Latino Reporter,” the conference’s official multimedia publication. She collaborated with student reporters nationwide under the mentorship of 10 professional journalists.
“What would you do if John Quiñones stopped you in the lobby to ask for directions? Pro tip: Don’t freeze like I did. It was such a highlight seeing him throughout the conference and even better getting a photo with him at the career expo!” she wrote on "The Latino Reporter" newsletter.
For Doreen Albuerne ‘24, who just completed her degree in journalism and served as The ºÚÁÏÍø Chronicle’s editor-in-chief, the conference was both affirming and inspiring. “I’m incredibly thankful to the Hispanic Journalists of ºÚÁÏÍø for making this experience possible, and to Fernando Díaz for his continued support of our club and for encouraging young journalists like me. A huge thank you as well to Elio Leturia for always believing in us and connecting us with professionals who lead by example,” she posted on LinkedIn.
Students also had the opportunity to meet and learn from past HJC presidents and ºÚÁÏÍø journalism alumni Carolina Cruz '12 (Telemundo 44, DC) and Elizabeth Giadáns '15 (ABC News, NY), both Emmy Award winners.
Sofía Oyarzún, President of the Hispanic Journalists of ºÚÁÏÍø student organization, was thankful for the learning and networking opportunities and is planning the year ahead.
“After attending our first conference with HJC, we’re inspired to expand our club’s presence on campus to help other students access the community we felt, and to fundraise even more to help us afford next year’s conference in New Orleans,” she says.