Natalia Jaramillo joined the Nonahood News team as an intern a few months ago and has helped the team out immensely through her writing!
Rapid Fire Questions:
Extrovert or Introvert? “Definitely more of an introvert, but not afraid to break out into extrovert tendencies if necessary.”
Indoors or Outdoors? “It depends on the weather. For me, I love being outdoors when it’s cold, which is like below 70 degrees (can you tell I was raised in Florida?). But if it’s above 70, then I prefer indoors. I don’t really like sweating or humidity.”
Sun or Snow? “Snow! I will take dark, gloomy, snowy days any day over the sun. I lived in El Paso, Texas, for three years when I was in middle school, and there were flurries of snow every January, so since then I will take snow before the sun.”
Dogs or Cats? “Dogs for sure! I have a seven-pound fluffy white Bichon Frise that is more like a best friend to me than a pet. Cats are okay, but I would never own one. They just don’t show the love and loyalty that dogs do.”
Vans or Converse? “Can I say heels? I love heels, so whenever possible I will wear them and I walk in them for a pretty long time. When I was little, I used to wear my grandma’s heels around the house and go to the park with Little Mermaid costume heels. If I had to choose, however, I guess Vans would be the way to go just because they are a little less common maybe.”
Coffee or Tea? “This is tough. I usually have both every day. I would say coffee because I just love the way it makes me feel energized and happy. My favorite way to drink it is iced with almond milk and no sugar during the summer, but black and hot during Florida’s winter.”
Adventurous or Laid Back? “I’m a bit of both, but definitely more adventurous. I love doing new things and discovering stuff. I love trying new things, and I’m not afraid to do them alone and learn as I go. I actually prefer to do a lot of things alone, so when I do fun activities with friends, it’s more special.”
Canon, Nikon or Sony? “Canon because I just learned how to use a Canon DSLR, so I’m excited to get better at using it.”
Books or TV? “I really want to say books because, as a wannabe journalist, I feel like that’s the right answer but honestly, I unwind with TV. I do read a lot of articles, though! I mean TV for me means YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or HBO streaming services. I don’t think I even know how to turn on my TV at home. One of my favorite shows was Game of Thrones, and I loved all of the Twilight series even though that was a movie and not a TV show.”
What brought you to the Nonahood?
“My dad got a job in Orlando, so the rest of my family packed up and moved to Lake Nona in the middle of my freshman year of high school because they thought it was a good area. We used to live in Tampa before moving to Lake Nona and then before that, we lived in El Paso, and then before that, we lived in Weston, Florida, so it’s safe to say I have moved around a lot. I’m no stranger to starting somewhere new in the middle of the year.”
What’s your favorite hobby?
“My favorite hobby is to go to coffee shops and write or watch YouTube, specifically makeup tutorials.”
What’s your biggest dream?
“My biggest dream is to become a successful journalist living in a tiny apartment in New York City. I want to chase down feature stories and breaking news while going home to a cozy NYC apartment at night – or early morning since higher-level journalism requires much more time and dedication.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In 10 years, I see myself hopefully in New York working for a great newspaper and developing strategies to ensure that the public knows newspapers are necessary and journalism is worth every dollar.”
Who’s your biggest inspiration?
“My biggest inspirations are my parents. Their hard work ethic, love, empathy, and realism are what motivates me to go after my dreams.”
What’s your favorite book?
“My favorite book is by Edna Buchanan called The Corpse Had A Familiar Face. It’s about a crime reporter, Edna Buchanan, in 1980s crime-filled Miami.”
What’s something you’ve done that scared you the most or brought you out of your comfort zone?
“I’m typically not scared of anything except spiders and tsunamis, but when I decided I was fully going to pursue journalism as a career, knowing the life and not knowing the future of journalism scares me a little bit every day. I truly believe that there will always be journalism, but the industry gets more cutthroat every day, so I always try to do everything I can to get ahead. The thought of my career gets me out of my comfort zone all the time.”
Describe one of your most memorable experiences.
“During spring break of my senior year, I went to London, Paris and Barcelona on a group trip without my parents, and it was amazing. It was my first time in Europe, and I fulfilled one of my dreams since I was a child – go to Paris. It didn’t let me down at all, and I think the experience taught me a lot about the world. I am also now considering moving to England to start a journalism career there if New York doesn’t work out.”
