At the UW, Enrique Pérez de la Rosa discovered the power of journalism to impact society. After honing his craft as a writer for The Daily and other community outlets like The Seattle Globalist, and working as a legislative reporter in Olympia, Enrique co-founded an organization to encourage other Hispanic journalists at the University.
HEEDING THE HEART
Enrique planned to major in engineering to please his parents. Though he excelled in his engineering classes, he felt something was missing. Through creative writing courses and his role at The Daily, he discovered he could make an impact through words. He is driven by the opportunity to share issues and events as they unfold.
A DOUBLE DOSE OF OLYMPIA
Through the Department of Communication’s Olympia Legislative Reporting Program, Enrique reported on politics from the state capitol, working with local media outlets as a reporter. “I focus on telling human stories, how decisions made in Olympia are going to affect people out in the real word,” Enrique says. He was such a fan of the paid Olympia internship program that he participated twice
Exposure to issues impacting rural communities has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of his journalism career. Check out his in-depth story on the healthcare crisis in rural Washington.
ENCOURAGING OTHERS
To ensure that Hispanic journalists at the UW have a professional community of support, Enrique and classmate Agatha Pacheco worked to establish a UW chapter of the National Association for Hispanic Journalists, dedicated to advocating for Hispanic voices in the media and developing students’ writing skills so they can tell their own stories.
RADIO RAVES
A course on radio journalism sparked Enrique’s interest in sharing stories through audio, engaging listeners by setting a scene through sound. “I really fell in love with the medium,” he says. “I found that I was passionate about that work.”
Listen to some of Enrique's audio reporting here at NW News Network
PROUD PARENTS
Though they once envisioned their son as an engineer, Enrique’s parents are now among his biggest supporters, proudly sharing his articles on social media. One reason for their change of heart: the stories Enrique covers issues that directly affect his parents and other immigrant families.