Author's Page
Learn more about Maria G Velazquez and get to know the person behind the posts you have read.
Hello, I’m Maria, a dedicated photojournalist and student. I believe in the power of the storyteller and communicating with the school community. Outside of school I enjoy volunteering at the local Community Center of Kent. In my free time you can find me reading mystery books, cooking, and spending time with my large family.
Maria G Velazquez's Recent Posts:
Everyday at Highline, students and faculty of virtually every background work side-by-side, each benefitting from one another’s own character and sacrifice.
Each student eventually finds themself at one of the many spots on campus marked with the US and POW MIA flag, maybe feeling the shade pass over them, and often not registering the full meaning behind what it represents.
Lately, I have been waking up with an uncertainty about my own safety – one that I haven’t felt since the first time I heard the phrase “Run, la migra”.
I was only seven years old, and I thought “la migra” was some predatory animal I should have been afraid of. Eventually, I learned it was my own government.
I would be lying if I said that I am not afraid. I am afraid.
This week at Highline, our campus celebrated spring homecoming with the Center for Leadership & Service (CLS). Edwina Fui, the CLS Director welcomed newcomers from Building 8, and kicked off the event this past week.
The center welcomed all new students introducing all the services they offer for the whole year. This homecoming event was filled with useful information about how the students thrive in their academic quarter. Fui and the rest of CLS was devoted to promoting growth, learning, and leadership beyond the classroom.
National parks have been hemorrhaging park rangers since the Trump administration’s recent focus on cutting funds from programs it has deemed unnecessary. As the 750+ former federal employees have made their exit, the dialogue on the decision has been met with protesting, confusion, and further insistence by the administration that federal programs are a drawback to the nation’s economy.
This decision was one of the many inaugural choices by the Trump administration, and in similar fashion sparked protests, maybe most famously including an upside down flag display at Yosemite National Park.
There’s been a statistic rapidly growing among the King County area – juvenile crime has skyrocketed in recent years, concerning citizens, businesses, and law enforcement. While Seattle ranks #21 for most dangerous cities, according to US News, a disturbing percentage of crime is committed by juveniles.
“Renton data shows police were called to reports of juveniles committing crimes with guns almost three times more often in 2023 than the year before,” K5 reported in their “Underage and Under Arrest series. They found that the most common instances were armed robberies of gas stations and convenience stores.
As the weeks advance in President Trump’s second term, he has been true to his word on past promises with deportation and immigration. With the current administration considering pulling from the Department of Defense funds to hire contractors and expand detention facilities to process the hundreds of undocumented persons that have been targeted for their immigration status.
Democrats have opposed these executive decisions, arguing that deporting immigrants is not a smart move, citing that it could affect labor shortages. These deportations may affect, and reduce crop yields because with fewer agricultural workers to plant, tend, and harvest crops, farmers may struggle to maintain productivity.
La Niña, a complex climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, interrupts normal weather patterns across the globe, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception.
La Niña came through the PNW late winter of last year and Washingtonians felt the impact of devastating winds and dangerous debris. In the months since, multiple news outlets have reported on the widespread damage to people and their homes, recounting the stress those affected have been put under.