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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Festivities for Mexican Independence Day begin Friday. This year marks the 213th anniversary. -
In spite of the reassurance from USPS, concerns remain in Imperial Beach about the future of their post office. -
KPBS spoke with Richard Gijon, a longtime public schools educator and administrator, for insight, tips and ideas to help parents, caregivers and their children. -
Passion for the performing arts runs high in the South Bay, but that passion can mask the sacrifices and tireless efforts made by artists. -
Imperial Beach resident Stephanie Gilreath’s dream to open a sporting goods store tailored to women, that also sells guns, is one step closer to reality. -
On display during this year’s Comic-Con International are images of piranha plants and dreams of Alice in Wonderland painted by Shirish Villaseñor.
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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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