City of residence: San Francisco
Work: Chapter Vice President Mariecar Mendoza works at the San Francisco Chronicle as the senior arts and entertainment editor, where she manages daily coverage for the publication’s Datebook section and its website, datebook.sfchronicle.com.
What joining AAJA means to her: Mariecar first joined AAJA-SF as a student in the Bay Area, which led her to applying to the AAJA Voices student project in 2006 — and she’s been an active member of the organization ever since. She is an ELP alum, and is a co-director of AAJA Features Forum, an affinity group that aims to provide programming, services and support for arts, entertainment and lifestyle journalists of color.
“AAJA connected me with people who not only looked like me but often faced the same challenges I did as a journalist. Being able to commiserate and help each other rise above those challenges has been such a great aspect of being a member,†she says. “That’s why I’ve been so passionate about serving as an ambassador in any capacity for the organization all these years, and why I now serve as a chapter board member.â€
Fun fact: “I was a figure skater when I was a kid, inspired by Kristi Yamaguchi, and won my first and only competition when I was 7.â€
Contact: Email mmendoza@sfchronicle.com, follow @SFMarMendoza and connect on LinkedIn.
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