Meet Latinitas Austin’s Spring 2018 Editorial and Social Media intern, Elisa Garcia. She is a Journalism major and English minor at the University of Texas at Austin and will be graduating May 2018. Elisa found her passion for writing while attending the University of Texas Pan-American as an Arts & Life reporter at The Pan-American Newspaper. Since transferring to UT Austin, she as been a reporter for ORANGE Magazine, a fashion reporter for Spark Magazine, and has two social media internships under her belt with KLRU-PBS and Texas 4000 for Cancer.
Why did you choose your major?
I believe journalism has the ability to change the world one story at a time. It certainly won’t be at once, but changing one perspective is all you need to get the conversation started.
What made you want to join Latinitas?
As a Hispanic female myself, I admire Latinitas’ mission to inspire young Latinas. Nowadays, technology is how the world is ran and learning the latest gadgets and tools can be overwhelming. So, it’s great to not only learn them myself but to teach young girls about them too.
What extracurricular activities do you participate in?
Most of my time outside school is spent in writing organizations such as ORANGE Magazine and Spark Magazine. If I’m not working on a story, you can find me working as a church chaplain on Sundays, a babysitter or watching Doctor Who…again.
Who is one of your role models and why?
Oh, I can’t only choose one. The first person I considered a role model was Audrey Hepburn; my 13-year-old self fell in love with her sense of fashion and poise. But she’s a real hard image to obtain, so now I find myself admiring Kristen Leanne, a cruelty-free makeup vlogger. Through her videos and snapchats, I like how free-spirited she is and she’s not afraid to look different or try something new. Which is what life’s about, right?
What is your idea of a dream job and how will your involvement with Latinitas get you there?
My dream job would consists of either writing for a magazine or working as a creative director for a clothing company. But hey, why not aim for both?
What is one of your favorite hobbies and how’d you get started with it?
I always have a book with me. Walking into a bookstore is not the best idea if I’m trying to save money. This love for reading is something I laugh at sometimes since I struggled with reading for a long time. But I got into it when one of my close friends recommend I read the Twilight series, which people make fun of, but I’m forever Team Edward.
What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I watch too much of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I know it’s trash and completely unrealistic, but does that stop me? No. Not at all.
What are the best and worst uses of the internet?
We have access to so many things now! From news videos to cat videos. We’re learning things and connecting to people like never before. The downside being that nearly everything is done behind a screen and we forget how to act around people and have a decrease in social skills compared to other generations.
