Marielena Castellanos
South Bay Engagement ProducerMarielena Castellanos is the South Bay engagement producer at KPBS. She brings experience in outreach and engagement, politics, and communications as well as radio, print, broadcast, and multimedia journalism.
Prior to joining KPBS, she produced a daily radio newscast for San Diego’s Jazz 88.3 FM KSDS. She also wrote community-focused stories for the local bilingual community newspaper, La Prensa San Diego.
Marielena was born in Chula Vista and raised along the border in the South Bay/Tijuana region. Her education includes attending both Southwestern College and San Diego City College. She is a first-generation college graduate from UC Berkeley with degrees in ethnic studies and English.
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Sept. 15 marks one of Mexico’s most historic celebrations, the start of the battle for independence. -
The race for the White House is in full force. -
Lalo Alcaraz and Jorge Gutiérrez are among the big names to headline the 2024 edition of Chicano-Con. -
When a disaster hits, it can catch people by surprise. Often many people are not prepared for the devastation. -
Starting on Thursday, July 25, fandom for comic books and popular culture will descend all over San Diego’s convention center and beyond. -
Mexican voters in San Diego and Tijuana were at the polls Sunday voting in a historic presidential election. Claudia Sheinbaum, an environmental scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, was overwhelmingly elected as the country's first woman president.
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A look back at SDCC 2025's highlights and tips for celebrating pop culture all year long. -
Indigenous people across North America are demanding sustained responses to violence in their communities. In San Diego County over the weekend, a summit was held to raise awareness about indigenous people missing and murdered in the region. -
Border Investigative Reporter Gustavo Solís breaks down the impact of Mexico's upcoming election in our region during KPBS' first virtual bilingual conversation with politics experts.
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