Yanira Rodriguez (Southeast)

Born and bred in Miami, with a hint of the Miami accent, 20-year-old Yani Rodriguez is still adjusting to life out of the classroom, after graduating in May 2004 from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish. Rodriguez tends to spend her vacations in Spain, since she can never really stay away from her family for long, but has also traveled throughout Europe including Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic. Airplane food and jet lag are well worth it when you can learn about different customs and cultures, she says. Rodriguez is currently trying to catch up on many years of lost sleep but always forgets to turn off her cellular phone alarm, which has been set for 6:30 a.m. for the past four years. Her failed sleeping attempts give her the opportunity to start the day early, read the newspaper and indulge in her favorite activities—playing tennis and the piano. Her future aspirations include writing about Latin American politics, religious communities, sports and/or entertainment—not necessarily in that order though. She is currently working as a translator at the Agencia EFE, a Spanish news agency, which has given her the opportunity to work on stories dealing with these and other subjects. She says, however, she is open to other possibilities.

Projects

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