Meet Gringo’s Editor in Chief

Meet Valeria, Gringo’s writer and editor. At just 22 years of age, Val is already a prolific writer, and not just of news! With a love of fiction and poetry, her skills are broad. Aspiring to be an author and already holding down a blog, she’s well on the way towards her goal.

Val always saw herself writing, after falling in love with books at a young age, and as a Colombian, was excited by the opportunity to write and edit Latin work.

‘I am a Colombian and proud to be, so when I saw the advertisement for this job I jumped straight in at the opportunity.’

‘Journalism is important [in the modern day] because it’s the way people stay informed of the current situations, and it’s the best way to bring awareness to important world issues.’

Local to Redland Bay, Val sees Brisbane, the home she writes about, first hand. Her experience of life in Brisbane, although a world away, has been welcoming. ‘I’ve been able to connect with plenty of other Latinos,’ she says, proving Brisbane’s growing community. ‘Australian’s are very welcoming, their way of going about life was refreshing when I first got here.’

With COVID affecting emigration over the last couple of years, the effect on the community of Brisbane is incalculable. Asking Val what she thinks the Latin community will be like in Brisbane in 10 years time, made her reflect.

‘With the pandemic, the Latin community and its growth seemed to freeze and shrink. Hopefully with the opening of the borders to students, soon we’ll see some more familiar faces come into the country. Many things can happen in 10 years but I hope to see the Latin community grow.’

On her time away from work Val enjoys writing about nature, storytelling and being outside.

‘When it comes to storytelling an inspirational idea will pop into my head, and I’ll just write,’ she says.

Taking on the role as editor in chief and as a journalist shows Val’s dedication to her craft and we wish her all the best for her future at Gringo and in achieving her goals.