You know how it goes. Representation matters... until it doesn’t. Until the spotlight fades, the movement slows, or the budget dries up or the political climate shifts. That’s not how we play. We don’t back off. We dig in. We stay, We fight for inclusivity in journalism — always. And we lift the next generation, because inclusivity only matters if it lasts.
The founder: Helen Ubiñas is an award-winning columnist and editorial leader who has spent more than three decades breaking barriers as the first—and at times the only—Latina reporter in the room. She made history as the first full-time Latina columnist at the Hartford Courant and later at The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist as part of the Hartford Courant’s breaking news team, Helen has been recognized by numerous organizations for her reporting and commentary on race, justice, and advancing equity in marginalized communities. Her honors include the Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence for a series on gun violence, and the Sally Kalson Courage in Journalism Award, which honors journalists who demonstrate exceptional bravery and integrity in reporting on difficult or dangerous subjects. In 2007, she was one of 12 U.S. journalists awarded the prestigious John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.
Named one of the most influential metro columnists at The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News, Helen’s reporting consistently set the city’s agenda, elevated marginalized voices, and helped drive meaningful policy change.
The experience of being one of the only Latinas in the room—one of the few writing the column and carrying both the pride and the pressure of representation—drove her to put her commitment and corazón on the line in 2022 to create The Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism. The fund supports internships and programs that build a more inclusive and representative news industry.
Helen’s mission is clear: to ensure that the next generation of Latina journalists doesn’t just enter the room — they own it, shape it, and transform it.
Give the next generation of storytellers the support they need. Each dollar fuels the opportunity for an aspiring Latina journalist to break into the field, earn her first byline and step into leadership.
Mariela Esquivel-Rodriguez
Mariela, from Caldwell, Idaho, was the inaugural Ñ Fund grantee through Voces Internship of Idaho. She went on to intern — and impress the hell out of everyone — at Boise Dev, a locally owned news site covering business and development in the greater Boise area. There, she didn’t just deepen her love of journalism, she discovered she was “born to tell stories,” especially those of her Latina community. A 2024 graduate of Northwest Nazarene University, Mariela now reports full-time at The Idaho Press, using her skills to “make change.”
Emily Carmela Nelson
Born and raised in Boise, Emily is a Boise State University ’27 student who interned at KBOI/CBS 2 News in Spring 2024 through Voces Internship of Idaho. One of her favorite stories covered the Idaho Hispanic Community Center. As editor-in-chief of The Arbiter, Boise State’s student newspaper, Emily leads a team of reporters and editors, represents student journalists on the Idaho Press Club board, and is part of The New York Times Corps talent pipeline program.
Diana Romero
Diana, from Mountain Home, Idaho, is a University of Idaho ’27 student who completed a Spring 2025 internship at Northwest Public Broadcasting through Voces Internship of Idaho. There, she fulfilled her dream of hearing herself on the radio and envisioning herself as a broadcast journalist while reporting on meaningful stories, including DEI changes at the University of Idaho and the Harvest Hills Wind Project on the Palouse.
When The Ñ Fund launched, we expected our first partnerships to be local. Then we met Nicole Foy and Ximena Bustillo, two trailblazing journalists who founded Voces out of a shared frustration with the lack of Latino representation in Idaho newsrooms. Their paid internship program bridges the gap between newsrooms and aspiring Latino journalists, placing over 20 Latino interns so far — a perfect match for our mission. We’re proud to support Voces and eager to connect with other organizations that share our commitment to equity, opportunity, and representation in journalism.
