By Betsy Model, President
Victoria Velarde
The Rio Grande Chapter of SPJ is thrilled that so many smart, ambitious students are choosing to join the chapter and forge early relationships that will make them terrific reporters and journalists.
Our latest members are Santa Fe-based students David Salazar and Victoria Velarde.
David is a senior at Santa Fe High School and, for the last four years, has been involved in writing and contributing to both student and mainstream daily newspapers. David began writing for Generation Next — the teen section of The Santa Fe New Mexican — in 2008 and has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Santa Fe High newspaper , The Demon Tattler, for three years. David will graduate this coming May from Santa Fe High and has set his sights on Columbia or NYU as the place to get a degree in Communications or Journalism.
Victoria Velarde is also a senior at Santa Fe High School and describes herself as a bookworm and a history nerd who loves to write. She’s been writing for Generation Next, the teen section of The Santa Fe New Mexican, for three years and is currently involved in yearbook production at her school. In the fall, Victoria will attend the University of New Mexico to study communications and business.
Both David and Victoria were encouraged to join SPJ by board member Staci Matlock and the Santa Fe New Mexican and we’re delighted to have their (young!) energy, enthusiasm and great ideas as part of the chapter’s membership.