There are simply too many Latinas making a difference in our society to name them all in a single story. It just wouldn’t be fair to countless movers and shakers who would fall through the cracks. All we can do is get the ball rolling by recognizing our first pair of all-stars on the team, and usher in a monthly group of prominent ladies according to a reader’s poll. All you need to do is shoot us an email…hispanichorizonopinions@gmail.com. This will be your forum to sound off on everything we do that you love or hate about our website. But most importantly, we want you to weigh in on who will be our next two candidates who deserve to be honored. Want to exercise some extra muscle? Tell us why your pick is extra special!
Now, a drum roll por favor…our Hispanic Horizon top ladies for September are Ana Cabrera and Jessica Mendoza! AND PLEASE CHECK OUT MENDOZA’S EXCELLENT WORK ON ESPN DURING THE MLB POST SEASON.
On her Facebook page, Ana Cabrera (pictured left) describes herself as a CNN correspondent and fill-in anchor who is passionate about family, running, and storytelling. Editors note:
Now after the election, Cabrera has been covering the protests on the streets against Trump in her hometown of Denver. Please check out her exclusive reporting on CNN.
All of that is true, but it is Cabrera’s articulate nature and flawless camera presence that has raised eyebrows among executives at the prestigious news channel.
A track star at Washington State, Cabrera received an offer shortly after graduation to work for NBC affiliate KAYU in Spokane, where she earned her stripes as a versatile broadcast journalist. Ana had yearned to return to her native Denver, and the wish was granted in 2010 when she was hired as morning news anchor for KMGH, an ABC station in Denver where she received an Emmy for outstanding reporting in the field.
Ana has become a New York girl of sorts since joining the CNN team in 2013, but still resides in the Mile High City with her husband and two pre-school children. Fluent in Spanish, the 33 year old Cabrera serves on the board of Mi Casa Resource Center and is a frequent guest speaker at local Denver high schools. Needless to say, Ana is a celebrity in a growing Hispanic metropolis, and quite possibly a future political frontrunner.
A former collegiate softball standout at Stanford and a four-time first team All-American, Jessica Mendoza is now a super star in the broadcast booth. After a breakthrough
appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball over a year ago, Mendoza, 35, has now become the flagship’s first female baseball analyst, joining the “A-Team” of Dan Shulman and John Kruk on the featured Sunday Night Game.
The multi-talented Mendoza has actually worked for ESPN since 2007 before her promotion, and was also the first female to lend her expertise in the booth at the men’s College World Series. Her lofty resume also includes stints with Yahoo Sports and Fox. But Jessica’s first year in a top-rated slot has been stellar, providing the glue that perfectly complements her partners.
An ex-Olympian and Gold Medalist, Mendoza is a native of Camarillo, California and continues to make her home there with her husband and two boys. Still very early in her “second career,” Jessica has quietly become a member of the million dollar club and the sky is the limit, although such success carries great responsibility
“I put a lot of pressure on myself (initially) because I knew I had the opportunity to bring a lot of women into an industry where there were very little,” confirmed Mendoza. “I like (the challenge) and I need to make sure that I don’t mess up because it’s not just for me. It’s for all of us.”
