UM’s National Hispanic Association of Journalists chapter hosted an open panel discussion with Hispanic broadcast legends Jose Diaz-Balart, Louis Aguirre, Jackie Nespral and Antonio Mora about their careers at UM’s Cosford Cinema on Friday, Oct. 17.
The highly-anticipated event did not disappoint. The star-studded group spent the afternoon sharing stories and insights all which led them to stardom. For Hispanic students in particular, the event left them inspired and empowered to keep working hard towards their dream career.
“It was an absolute honor to be in the same room as them. These are the same people I grew up watching on my TV,” Ximena Hidalgo, president of the NAHJ UM chapter and co-organizer behind the event said. “To get this opportunity to learn directly from them was an incredible experience.”
The career advice did not come at a shortage. Themes like hard work and perseverance generally stood out, but each individual shared their unique perspectives.
“Find the one thing that really interests you and become an expert in that. Hone your essential skills like writing – it’s not just about looking good, wanting to interview famous people or being at big historical events,” Louis Aguirre, Local Channel 10 anchor and former Fox and Friends host, said.
He also added that students should stay away from using AI to write because “your own heart and soul” is your best asset for this career.
Telemundo and NBC anchor, Jose-Diaz Balart stressed the importance of staying connected to your roots and to yourself in order to stand out in the crowd.
On reminiscing his difficulties with perfecting his spanish to land a role, he recommended students should be, “binging their study rather than binging shows.”
Each star also shared their experience dealing with hispanic discrimination at the start of their careers, whether that be due to their name, appearance or mannerisms.
Many took note from the infamous Jackie Nespral on her experience becoming the first Hispanic American network television news anchor as the weekend co-host of NBC’s “Today.”
Nespral dealt with harsh criticism from executives, however, she leaned into the challenge and persevered by pushing herself to perfect her skills as a journalist.
In an interview with The Miami Hurricane, president Ximena Hidalgo of NAHJ expressed her deep gratitude for the school of communication and Wolfson Chair Antonio Mora for making this event possible for students and aspiring hispanic-american journalists at UM.
For Ximena and NAHJ, she plans on working to bring more opportunities for career exposure like this to campus and a strong focus on creating workshops that develop professional skills so that members can increase their competitiveness for a job application.
Get more information on NAHJ online and check the University’s School of Communication’s calendar to stay up-to-date on future events.