Isabel Rosales

About

BACKGROUND: I was born in the "City of Parks" Holguin, Cuba. I spent the first six years of my life there ignorantly saluting communism ("seremos como Ché/We will be like Ché") at school while blind of my parents' struggle to feed me at home. My family caught a break when they were granted a visa to leave Cuba and immigrate to the U.S in '98. In the span of four months, I developed a good grasp of English and was featured in the community section of the local paper for my quick accomplishment. My hardest hurdle to overcome was learning the language and American culture while still respecting and identifying with my Latino heritage. INTEREST IN JOURNALISM: Growing up, I noticed many distinctions between the social and economic capitalism of the U.S and the communism of Cuba but most noticeably was the press. In middle school, I gravitated toward a journalism career out of my respect for freedom of speech and the press, which was strictly forbidden in my homeland. The idea that you can question the powerful and hold them accountable was an inspiring and refreshing change. But freedom and democracy are fragile. The press is one incredibly important pillar toward upholding these American rights. RESULTS: As of April 2021, I am a correspondent for CNN Newsource. VALUES: Edward R. Murrow says it best with, "To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful."