Uncategorized

Nathali Bertran

| wiggins.65
Nathali Bertran

As an energetic kid with a penchant for science and math, Nathali Bertran dreamt of building a spaceship and visiting the moon. Her current job isn’t lightyears away from this either. She now builds more terrestrial machines as a design engineer for Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio. In addition to engineering cars, Bertran is also part of a team working to streamline and simplify the process of applying for DACA (that’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status that allows recipients to attend public universities and garner U.S. work authorization.

Continue reading →

Reyna Esquivel-King

| wiggins.65
Reyna Esquivel-King

Reyna Esquivel-King kindly took a break from grading finals to share her story with ¡Dímelo, Columbus! She is currently a graduate student in Ohio State’s Department of History studying the relationship between film censorship and identity creation in Mexico’s revolutionary and post-revoluationary periods. We discussed her dissertation, how our backgrounds inspire research topics, and the strong relationship between history and the present.

Continue reading →

Yolanda Zepeda

| wiggins.65
Yolanda Zepeda

Yolanda Zepeda advocates for Latino students and other underrepresented groups on campus as the assistant vice provost in Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. With a significant background in higher education, Zepeda has seen a shift in the treatment of diversity in a university setting. Her experiences as a former student and current administrator of color within the university system inspire her to help others struggling to defend their identities and explain their presence on campus.

Continue reading →

Darsy Amaya

| wiggins.65
Darsy Amaya

Darsy Amaya is “all of it:” an immigrant, single mother, interpreter, entrepreneur, and artist. Seeking greater economic opportunity in the United States, Amaya’s mother moved her young family from Honduras to New York City when Amaya was only thirteen. Identifying as both an immigrant and an American helps Amaya serve as a cultural bridge for the Latinx community in her work as an interpreter and artist here in Columbus.

Continue reading →

Luis Fernando Macías

| wiggins.65
Luis Fernando Macías (Photo by Jenn Johnston)

Luis Fernando Macías not only co-edits ¿Qué Pasa Ohio State? Magazine with Marie Lerma, he is also a doctoral candidate in Ohio State’s Department of Teaching and Learning’s Multicultural and Equity Studies in Education. His lifelong interests in education and immigrant rights are present in his dissertation work which analyzes the tuition equity movement in Ohio led by diverse youth and young adults raised in the state, but with uncertain immigration status.

Continue reading →

Omar D’Angelo

| wiggins.65
Omar D’Angelo

Omar D’Angelo moved to Columbus from Mendoza, Argentina with his family in 2000 three days following his high school graduation. He arrived in Columbus with no knowledge of English. With the help of tutors, he learned the language and sought to pursue a college education. D’Angelo started school at Columbus State before transferring to Franklin University where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. Throughout his education, D’Angelo continued to assist his family with growing their business.

Continue reading →

Augusto Saenz

| wiggins.65
Augusto Saenz
Augusto Saenz

Augusto Saenz, clutching a camera, weaved expertly through the crowded room snapping photographs for the Distinguished Hispanic Awards Gala. He kindly introduced himself to me during a moment of respite. His business, Augusto Saenz Photography, provides portraits for Who’s Who Latino Columbus and professional photographs for quinceañeras, weddings, and other social events throughout the Latino community. He also founded Canal Hispano TV, an online station dedicated to the Spanish-Speaking population of Columbus. This is the only locally-based Spanish-Speaking station in the city; and is both a testament to Saenz’s perseverance and representative of an actual need for a media outlet in the Latino community.

Continue reading →