PERSON: Guad Venegas

Correspondent

Growing up in a Mexican American immigrant household, Guadalupe “Guad” Venegas remembers spending most of his time surrounded by books. “I thrived in the public library,” Venegas said. Sifting through pages and finding information felt powerful, he said, especially when there were limited resources available for his family.

Venegas was raised in Southern California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, an area he said is often misunderstood. “I wanted to be the best communicator I could be because I grew up in a community where there was never good communication with police or authorities,” he said.

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His passion to serve and inform underrepresented groups led him to a journalism career. Venegas first reported in Spanish for NBC Telemundo, focusing on diverse communities. His deep understanding of his culture and ability to communicate in two languages enabled him to cross over to English-speaking broadcasts, as a correspondent for NBC News.

In the video above and the following text, Venegas shares his personal challenges and advice on transitioning to English-language news.

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