LATIN TIMES MAGAZINE - SPRING 2013 VOLUME 12 No 1 | Page 10

Meet the 2013

Latin Times Magazine , Latina Movers N Shakers !

By : Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla
In this issue of Latin Times Magazine , we celebrate La Mujer Latina …
Latin Times is pleased to introduce you to some of Florida ’ s most talented Latinas ! I am proud to be a Latina , and share a love for language , food , music and culture with these strong , intelligent and beautiful sister Latinas ….
Name : Lissette Campos What is your Profession : Broadcast Journalism Company : WFTS TV ABC Action News Your Pais : Born in New York – parents are from Cuba / great grandparents were from Spain Hometown : grew up in Miami
Latin Times : What do you enjoy most about what you do ? Lissette Campos : I started my career in journalism about 25 years ago and can honestly say , without hesitation , that the ABC Action News “ Taking Action Against Domestic Violence ” Campaign is the most rewarding experience of my career . It was one of my first assignments when I returned to ABC Action News in 2008 . It ’ s a blessing to meet these amazing people – law enforcement officers , domestic violence advocates & survivors – and tell their stories in a way that empowers others to change their lives for the better . Being able to write a script that tells someone ’ s story with dignity and helps another human being - that is what I enjoy about my career most .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your biggest obstacles , and how you have overcome them . Lissette Campos : When I started in television news I was all of 20 years old – was given the amazing opportunity to land a job working behind the scenes at the Univision station in my hometown – Miami , FL . Miami is a big size television market , so it was a huge deal for me . I was raised bilingual BUT was constantly speaking in Spanglish ! I would mix English and Spanish words in my sentences constantly . That may be common place in South Florida but it ’ s certainly not the norm elsewhere AND I could not broadcast my stories in Spanglish . As a result , I think my story telling suffered . Once I made a conscious effort to work on my Spanish in earnest – reading , writing , bought a dictionary from La Real Academia Espanola ! The thing was huge ! I had the same approach with the English language and went a step further , working with a British voice coach at the university who helped me with my delivery in English . When I overcame my addiction to Spanglish , I overcame a significant obstacle in my career path . I now had the opportunity to work anywhere in the country . Also , I have to say that being a working mom is a huge challenge – and I ’ m sure it ’ s not just in television news . It ’ s a constant juggle .
Jolie Gonzalez / Latin Times : Please tell us about your family . Lissette Campos : My husband Angel and our girls , Sophie and Audrey , are the most important people in my life . Angel is my knight in shining armor , my “ person ” and my inspiration . Angel ’ s counsel and encouragement over the years have been invaluable to me . We met during my reporting days in Miami and were engaged within a month ! Four months later , we were married ! Twenty- years later , I still love him with all my heart . We are blessed with happy , healthy children – which is what any parent wants . Our girls are being raised in a bi-cultural home – like we were . They are “ Americanitas ” AND “ Cubanitas ” all rolled into one . Our youngest isn ’ t as bilingual as our teenager , but the important thing is that they are both proud of their Hispanic roots .
Jolie Gonzalez / Latin Times : Who is a hero / role model that you admire ( Living or deceased ) and why do you admire them ? Lissette Campos : Without question , my parents – Sergio and Miriam Campos are my heroes ! Mom and Dad were 19 years old when they arrived in the United States as political refugees . Both my grandfathers had worked against the Castro regime . My mom and dad were forced to leave Cuba with nothing but the clothes on their backs & the sunglasses my mom happened to be wearing that day in 1961 . Rather than complain or succumb to self pity , they worked hard to make a new life here . No job was “ beneath ” them . They worked 2 and 3 jobs … set goals for themselves and strived to reach them , which they did . The most important life lesson – I learned from mom and dad . As human beings we are more than our particular station in life . Whether you are rich or poor , highly educated or not , executive or un-employed – every person has a story & every one deserves to be treated with dignity and respect . Mom and dad have the most amazing stories of strangers in New York and Long Island who treated them with kindness and respect – when they were assembly line workers at a factory or dish washers at a restaurant . These folks saw through whatever “ job ” they happened to be in at that moment … giving my parents a sense of dignity and hope they desperately needed . In Cuba , dad had just graduated from El Instituto Garces with a degree in commercial art and mom would ’ ve been starting medical school . Being asked about their dreams and lives back in Cuba … helped my parents tremendously . That ’ s where I get my love of story telling … everyone has a story … it can be life changing when you take the time to stop , ask questions , and listen – really listen .