LEADERSHIP | LÍDERES

LEADERSHIP A JOURNEY TO CODE SWITCH

LATINA JOURNALIST LORI LIZARRAGA HAS EXPERIENCED A LOT IN HER YOUNG CAREER LEADING UP TO HER NEW, CURRENT ROLE WITH NPR.

LA PERIODISTA LATINA LORI LIZÁRRAGA HA VIVIDO MUCHAS EXPERIENCIAS EN SU JOVEN CARRERA PROFESIONAL ANTES DE LLEGAR A SU CARGO ACTUAL EN NPR.

By | Por: JENSEN TOUSSAINT | AL DÍA News Staff Writer

ENGLISH

Lori Lizarraga is a native Texan of Ecuadorian-Mexican descent.

During an interview with AL DÍA, Lizarraga described her upbringing as one with “a lot of intersections and crosses of identity and culture.”

As she got older and started to come into her own after traveling to different parts of the world, she came to the realization that “in some way, I feel like I have something in common with everyone.”

That realization has helped her in becoming the award-winning journalist she is today, and is the catalyst for newest role as a co-host of NPR’s Code Switch.

However, the road to getting to this point was a bumpy, but fulfilling journey.

FINDING HER PATH

Lizarraga originally went to college at SMU on a scholarship to study business.

It wasn’t until the second semester of her junior year that she discovered journalism as a potential career path for her.

During her final college semester, she spent several months in her mother’s native country of Ecuador.

About a month before she was set to return to the U.S. to walk for graduation, a devastating earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador, killing hundresds and severely injuring thousands more.

As she helped provide aid for those effected, Lizarraga came to see that the most effective way for her to shine a light on the situation that those in Ecuador and elsewhere were facing was by developing a reputation as a journalist.

“I’m really glad it happened the way that it did because I think that has always sort of been the guiding light for the work,” she said.

Over stints with news stations in Bakersfield, California, and Denver, Colorado, Lizarraga became a strong voice for her community.

However, that didn’t come without its challenges, particularly when trying to do so for a whitemale dominated station.

She always stood firm in her beliefs, and endured those challenges because she felt it was worth it.

Lori Lizarraga, the newest co-host of award-winning podcast, NPR’s Code Switch. Courtesy . Lori Lizarraga, la nueva copresentadora del galardonado podcast de NPR Code Switch. Cortesía

I’m really looking forward as ever to bringing my Latinidad… to the table.

Tengo más ganas que nunca de aportar mi latinidad.

ESPAÑOL

Lori Lizárraga es una tejana de ascendencia ecuatoriano-mexicana. En entrevista con AL DÍA, describió su educación como una de “muchas intersecciones y cruces de identidad y cultura”.

A medida que crecía y empezaba a conocerse a sí misma tras viajar a distintas partes del mundo, descubrió que “sentía algo en común con todas las personas”. Esa constatación le ha ayudado a convertirse en la periodista galardonada que es hoy, y es el catalizador de su más reciente papel como copresentadora del programa Code Switch de NPR. El camino hasta llegar a este punto ha sido accidentado pero satisfactorio.

AL ENCUENTRO DE SU CAMINO

Lizárraga fue a la Southern Methodist University (SMU) con una beca para estudiar Negocios, pero solo hasta el segundo semestre de su penúltimo año descubrió que el periodismo era una posible carrera para ella.

Durante su último semestre universitario, pasó varios meses en Ecuador, el país natal de su madre. Casi un mes antes de regresar a Estados Unidos para graduarse, un devastador terremoto sacudió la costa ecuatoriana, cientos de personas fallecieron y miles más quedaron gravemente heridas.

Mientras ayudaba a socorrer a los damnificados, Lizárraga se dio cuenta de que la forma más eficaz de arrojar luz sobre la situación a la que se enfrentaban los ecuatorianos y los habitantes de otros países era hacerse una reputación como periodista. “Estoy muy contenta de que sucediera así porque creo que siempre ha sido el hilo conductor de mi trabajo”, afirma.

Durante su estancia en las cadenas de noticias de Bakersfield (California) y Denver (Colorado), Lizárraga se convirtió en una firme portavoz de su comunidad. Si bien sus pasos no estuvieron exentos de dificultades, sobre todo al trabajar en una emisora dominada por hombres blancos, siempre se mantu-