Maria Mendez

Growing up in Austin from the age of three, I enjoyed learning about my “weird” city and began reading and following the local news to familiarize myself with the city’s history, culture and current events. Researching and reading stories about Austin’s history of segregation and ongoing gentrification inspired me to practice local journalism to help inform citizens of the long-lasting effects of city policies. Today, I follow state and local politics and news to keep up with the community impact of policies such as those of the Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4) or CodeNext —the city’s redevelopment code.

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