Sylvia Mendoza is an award-winning journalist recognized as one of "50 Voices of the Future in Journalism" and "1 of 25 Influential Latina Leaders" invited to a United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women" forum. She is the author of The Book of Latina Women: 150 Vidas of Passion, Strength and Success and Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography. Her latest essay appears in the academic anthology, Label Me Latina/o.
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“Seventy percent of fourth graders say they love math and science, but by the time they reach eighth grade, almost half the students lose interest. The goal is to link classroom learning to real life careers and give them classroom tools to keep them engaged.” — Sally Ride Science video
When United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor walked into Shiley Auditorium at the University of San Diego back in 2013, the place was packed. In fact, the sell-out crowd was indicative of what the rest of her book tour would look like. Her memoir, “My Beloved World,” had just hit the stands. It would go on to climb the New York Times bestseller list where it would reach the coveted #1 spot in non-fiction.
In seventh grade in 2004, Nataly Rivera was a natural athlete, track and field material and an average student who like thousands of other middle schoolers wanted to find her place in Shelby, Texas. Then she saw an elective class that spoke to her - the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Pro-gram.
The role of mainstream news media is to be a watchdog of society. It means to be unbiased, offer surveillance, be the fourth estate of the government, and to take Voltaire’s words to heart: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Every trained journalist should know and practice the four pillars of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, which are to: seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, be accountable, and act independently.
