My full name is Adriana Guadalupe Loya, I was born in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México but was raised in the small border towns of Puerto Palomas Chihuahua, and Columbus, New Mexico.

I technically grew up in both countries. My family lived in Palomas during the early stages of my life, and my sisters and I started our education in México— they were even in the school’s band and played the drums!! I always wanted to follow in their footsteps and get involved in it as well, but my parents decided to move just three miles north of the border to Columbus, NM.

Both towns combined have less than six thousand people. Most of the roads aren’t paved and there aren’t any stoplights. In Columbus, the highest education is middle school, so in order to attend high school, you have to travel a little over 32 miles north into a separate town. From 7-12th grade, the long stretch of terrain became my daily routine, mainly traveled by a sturdy and uncomfortable school bus.

My mother was a housewife until my father passed away when I was 10 years old. He didn’t withstand surgery after a medical emergency and left my mother a widow at a young age caring for three young girls. My dad was kind, but a typical ‘macho’. Not allowing my mother to work or do anything around the house that didn’t involve taking care of my two sisters and me. So when he passed away, it was really tough for her to figure out how to do things and provide for us- especially since she didn’t know English, let alone drive in bigger cities like El Paso, Texas where we had to travel to buy school clothes and such things every so often.

Now Columbus and Palomas didn’t, and to this day don’t, have many working opportunities. In Columbus, the majority of the residents work during the harvest season of onions, green ‘chile’, watermelon, and pumpkin— a job I actually did for a couple of summers. Other job opportunities range from cleaning houses or taking care of the elderly. This is how my mother provided the bread and butter. She didn’t make much, but she managed to give us the necessary things so we could live a comfortable life.

During high school, I was highly involved in school activities and programs. I played the guitar & vihuela at our school’s mariachi band, was a part of the Student Council, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, and was the President of Business Professional Leaders of America. I also played soccer and was a part of our school’s dance team.

Being involved in these programs allowed me to travel and experience new opportunities, some of which wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for school. I was able to attend several mariachi conferences with some of the best mariachi in the world in California, New Mexico, and Texas. I also got to travel to Florida and Tennessee where I received a gold medal for a school project a colleague and I did, where we focused on teaching high school girls about the dangers of STDs.

So by growing up in my dirt-road surroundings, it didn’t take me much time to realize the limited opportunities I had if I stayed there after high school. I had big plans of being the first in my family to go to college and make a career for myself. I applied to as many universities and scholarships as I could with the little help that I had— as the highest education in my family was a high school degree.

I graduated from Deming High School with honors at 16 years old and after weeks of persuading, and finally convincing my mother, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona on my own to attend Arizona State University. She gave me her life savings, her car, a blessing, and wished me the best of luck.

The first week of being away from home was tough. I called my mom crying every single day, telling her how scared I was to fail. To not do well in school and end up back in the small town I saw no future for myself. But if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have made it. Mothers always have a way of giving you the best advice when you need it, and to be honest, I was more scared to fail her. After seeing all the sacrifices she had made in order for us to have a better life, I wanted to make sure she knew that all of that pain was not done in vain.

At first, I was a Business Communication major at the WP Carey School of Business. I always saw myself having a business of my own, but also wanted to do something for my community and those who were raised similarly to my upbringing. That’s why after two years, I switched to a journalism degree at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

While in Phoenix I undertook many roles, from a Service Manager at McDonald’s to a Wells Fargo teller, from attending modeling and acting school to being a vihuela player for Mariachi Rubor; all while being a full-time student.

But what gave me the most personal growth —and the job I consider my favorite— is when I worked at McDonald’s. Remember I was 16 when I moved to Arizona. I had a lot to learn and what better way to do it than to get yelled at by angry customers because you got their order wrong, or because they wanted fresh fries? It’s the typical “the customer is always right” scenario where you have to find it in yourself to not get upset or take it personally by the tone of the language they use. So when I went from cashier, to shift manager, to Service Manager at 18 years old, I knew I had matured and evolved.

McDonald’s was also where I found a second home away from home. Some of the people I got the opportunity to work with, many immigrants, had been working there for years. And by that I mean YEARS. Some up to 20— working there with the same company making minimum wage and getting some .20 - .50 cents as a raise throughout their entire time there. This angered me. So throughout my three years there, I became somewhat of a justice fighter for them. I spoke up when I saw an injustice and took it personally when one of them wasn’t treated well. They in return made me a part of their family. Something I truly valued given the fact that I had no one else close to a relative while living in Phoenix at the time.

During my journalism degree pursuit, I was able to gain experience in a wide range of media forms: radio, print, and TV.

While working at McDonald’s, and still enrolled in business school, a friend of mine sent me some information about a radio internship opportunity at the local 95.1 Latino Vibe KVIB-FM radio station (now closed). After reaching out and auditioning, I got the gig.

There, I would help out Hector “Kumbia” Mongue during his nightly show by answering callers, announcing station program information, reading prepared scripts, or ad-lib commentary on air. He also gave me the opportunity to learn how to operate the control board and taught me how to ensure music and commercials followed the planned schedule.

This led to a part-time role as one of the station’s street team ambassadors with the company. Here I attended business sites, events, and concerts where we engaged with listeners and did live-on-air call-ins inviting people to our location.

From this experience, I gained various skills that later helped me when I was then enrolled at the journalism school, and after I obtained an internship at Enlace 1190 KQQZ-AM. There I made one-minute news reports on a wide range of topics including science, technology, and health.

It was during this time that I left McDonald’s and started working as a Teller at Wells Fargo full-time— while still being a full-time student. One day during a bank deposit I got to meet the amazing journalist Renato Avalos (link is to one of the first productions I did for a school assignment where he let me profile him), although I didn’t know who he was at the time.

After a quick chat with him, he told me what he did and what career I was pursuing. Without hesitation, he offered me his help and guidance. Several months later, he gave me my first reporter opportunity when he was launching a pilot show called ‘De Esto No Se Habla’ to be aired on Estrella TV KVPA channel 42 in Phoenix.

He became a huge mentor and a person I will eternally admire. Unfortunately, Avalos lost a tough battle with cancer in mid-July of 2017. 🙏 Rest in peace Renato Avalos.

During my educational years, I also got the opportunity to write for the Mesa Legend Newspaper. That was when I transferred for a couple of semesters to the Maricopa Community College. When I came back to ASU, I then wrote for The State Press and did an opinion piece for the Downtown Devil.

By this time in my life, I was now working as a receptionist for Univision Arizona. Funny story: the same friend that told me about the radio internship was the one that told me about this job position!

There I got my first-world experience in a ‘newsroom’. Working at the front desk I got to see ALL aspects of how a TV station is run. I reported directly to the General Manager at the time, Roberto Yañez, who now is the GM for Univision New York and who became another essential guide in my career.

By having my ‘foot in the door’ I had the privilege to learn one-on-one from reporters, anchors, and new producers who let me shadow them. A couple of my stories or ‘packages’ I created for class assignments even aired on Univision Arizona.

During this time I got to work on some exciting projects:

•Anchor and be a reporter for the school’s ‘Cronkite News en Español’

•Host ‘Best Take’ and be a reporter for ‘Maricopa Now’— both shows that aired on Maricopa Colleges Television

•Co-host ‘Su Vida which airs on COX TV

•Work at the Social Media Center during the NFL Super Bowl XLIX

Come May of 2015 the time finally came. I graduated from ASU with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication with a Certificate (an extra class than a minor) in Special Event Management.

This was the moment I long dreamed of.

During the sleepless nights, the long McDonald’s shifts with sore feet, loads of debt compiling, the holidays away from home— and so much more I would never finish sharing that happened— it seemed impossible I would ever get there. But I finally did.

Nothing can compare to sharing that moment with my family and seeing the smile and tears caressing my mother’s face when I walked on that stage. The moment when I became the first in my family to have a college degree.

There were so many times I considered moving back to my hometown when I first moved to Phoenix. I debated staying in my comfort zone and close to my friends and family, life was much easier that way, but I wanted more than that.

Graduating from ASU not only elevated my educational career but gave me the clarity to see all I had accomplished through my hard work.

Life then took me to Wichita, Kansas where I began my professional career as a Bilingual Multimedia Journalist/fill-in news anchor/producer for Noticias Univision Kansas KDCU & KWCH Eyewitness News.

This job came to me after the, then anchor/producer found my demo reel on YouTube and contacted me for the job. After several interview phases, I got the job.

During the last six months of my two years there, I was the main news anchor/producer for Noticias Univision Kansas. Monday through Friday I was in charge of producing and presenting the 10 o'clock newscast. I proofread scripts for reporters and taught and trained an intern. I also scheduled and produced an immigration segment every Monday with an attorney where we answered viewers’ questions, and I produce a weekly family education segment— all while managing the station's social media pages and publishing local content to the website.

Before being promoted to the news anchor and producer role, I was a weekday multimedia reporter for Eyewitness News and Noticias Univision Kansas. My duties included turning stories on a daily bases in English and Spanish that were shot, written, produced, and, edited by me. After stories made air, I was responsible for putting them on the web and social media pages, with well-written articles. 

Being bilingual has helped me get exclusive interviews and tips for both stations on breaking news and daily stories. I also assisted other reporters to help to translate in person or via phone when they encounter a Spanish speaker. 

Currently, I’m a Multi-Skilled Journalist in Phoenix, Arizona. My stories air on KPNX 12News, and on occasions on 12News en Español. I shoot, write, edit, and produce almost all of my reports.

Before moving to the desert, I was a Bilingual Multimedia Reporter in Boston, Massachusetts, where my stories aired on Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra and, on occasions, on NBC 10 Boston and New England Cable News (necn).

My broadcast career began in Wichita, Kansas, where I held multiple roles — bilingual multimedia journalist for KWCH 12 Eyewitness News, and producer, news anchor, and weather anchor for Univision Kansas.

During college, I got two dogs, aka “my boys”. A red short-haired dachshund named Gamez and a tri-colored basset hound named Heisenberg.

They have been with me through my many ups and downs and most of my college experience and on to today. They got to experience the dry weather heat from Arizona, the windy plains of Kansas, the snowy cold temperatures of Colorado, and the ever-changing weather in Massachusetts.

Because of them, I became a vegetarian in 2015.

When I was in Boston, I was heavily involved at Veronica Robles Cultural Center (VROCC), a non-profit that is focused on promoting Latin-American cultures among the youth for a better tomorrow. I volunteered, emceed, and was in charge of events organized and hosted at VROCC.

Now in Arizona, I volunteer at soup kitchens across the Valley and help out Big Bully Rescue, a dog rescue group based on volunteers that helps at-risk dogs get fur-ever-loving homes.

I hope to one day start my own non-profit/mentor-ship program, to help others from rural areas and low-income families, fight for their educational goals and guide them on how to get there.