Featured Alumni:

Class of 2006

Raquel Cristina Zaldivar

I became a photographer by chance. Going into sixth grade, I wanted to write for Conchita Magazine but I was to late to sign up to the then mandatory writing summer camp. I signed up for the photography camp instead and never looked back. After graduating from Conchita, I went to Our Lady of Lourdes Academy for high school and the University of Miami where I studied visual journalism.

I worked for a year before I decided to go back to school and was lucky enough to have been accepted into the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. I'm currently in the Masters of Science in Journalism program at Medill. I'm focusing on video documentary reporting (but still doing photo!) and specializing in politics and social justice. I've been in the program and in Chicago for just five months now, and in that time I have covered presidential debates, political rallies and even protests about issues that have gotten national attention. The program is tough, but I love it and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Whenever I look back at where I got started, I can honestly say that if it wasn't for Conchita I may not have even realized that I love photography and journalism. I am so thankful that during my years at Conchita I was surrounded by caring and wonderful faculty and staff that pushed me to excel and pursue what I loved.