Andrew Mendez

Bilingual student reporter

Andrew Mendez is a sophomore at the University of Nevada, Reno, majoring in journalism and Spanish. He is a first-generation student and has a passion to the elevate voices of those who may not typically be heard in media.

As a bilingual reporter for The Nevada Sagebrush and KUNR, Andrew is committed to telling stores that impact the local Latinx community.

Outside of reporting, Andrew is involved in the Reynolds School of Journalism: Journalism Student Council, the Latino Student Advisory Board, and FIJI Fraternity. In his free time, he enjoys going out with friends, traveling, and learning about other cultures and beliefs.

Biden Rally In Sparks Focused On U.S. Tension With Iran

By • Jan 12, 2020
Joe Biden stands next to a podium with the U.S. flag and Nevada state flag behind him as he talks with voters.
Paul Boger / KUNR Public Radio

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden campaigned across Nevada over the weekend. At his stop in Sparks, Biden focused heavily on foreign policy amidst America’s ongoing tensions with Iran. KUNR’s Andrew Mendez reports. 

The former vice president rallied with more than 500 voters at Sparks High School, according to campaign officials. 

Biden criticized Donald Trump, saying the president has not kept his promise to end wars in the Middle East, where tensions have grown in light of Trump’s recent order of an airstrike that killed Iran’s top military leader.

Interview: UNR Diversity Officer On How Campus Is Affected by Hate

By • Jan 2, 2020
Alexa Ard / KUNR

This semester, the University of Nevada, Reno has seen a rise in the number of hateful acts on campus. Our bilingual student reporter, Andrew Mendez, sat down with Eloisa Gordon-Mora, UNR’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer, to see how that has affected the campus environment.

How The Jewish Community Is Responding To Hate At UNR

By • Jan 2, 2020
Pull quote image witht the KUNR logo in the top right hand corner. The quote reads: We need people who do understand what the actual issues are, but we also need people that are willing to challenge the status quo and not everyone is willing to do that.

Last semester, the University of Nevada, Reno had multiple reported cases of swastikas being found around campus, in addition to white supremacist flyers. Our bilingual student reporter Andrew Mendez sat down with Atty Garfinkle-Berry, the director of Hillel of Northern Nevada to get an understanding of how these acts affect the Jewish community.

UNR Students, Staff React To Anti-Semitic Graffiti

By & • Oct 22, 2019
A wall decoration says, "The strength of the pack is the wolf...and the strength of the wolf is the pack."
Lucia Starbuck

This fall, the University of Nevada, Reno has been confronted with numerous acts of white supremacy, hate and bias on campus. Different incidents have occurred across multiple buildings, including Wolf Pack Tower, a residence hall located in downtown Reno. KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck and Andrew Mendez visited the tower to see how students and staff are doing.

Five Things To Know About Latinx Retention At UNR

By • Sep 24, 2019
A pull quote is used to describe the words Christopher Monzon used when describing his experience at UNR.
Andrew Mendez

KUNR's bilingual student reporter Andrew Mendez has been looking into the unique obstacles Latinx students may face when they enter college. Along with reporting on the hurdles, he's been researching potential solutions on the local level. He joined our news director Michelle Billman to share his findings.

Examining Latinx Student Retention In Higher Ed.

By • Sep 24, 2019
A man in a white leather jacket and black curly hair is leaning back as he stands playing his guitar. The guitar is red and white and there is a red drum set behind him.
Photo Courtesy of Jess Kitchingman

 

Nearly one in five students at the University of Nevada, Reno identifies as Latinx. Latinx is a gender-neutral term for Latino. Often, these students are first generation or "first gen" college students and face a unique set of challenges when it comes to retainment and support. KUNR’s Andrew Mendez explores. 

 

 

 

 

UNR Officials Address Recent Expressions Of Hate

By • Sep 16, 2019
App profile for the Nevada SafePack app. The app has a large navy blue N and the words Safe pack underneath in blue and gold.
Screenshot taken by Andrew Mendez. Rights to the application are owned by the University of Nevada, Reno.

Update: Wednesday, Sep. 18 11:28 a.m.  Since this story first aired, Marc Johnson, president of the University of Nevada, Reno sent an email to the campus community Tuesday addressing concerns related to white supremacist activity on campus. "Faculty, staff and students must stand guard against the hateful rhetoric and propaganda that would lead us to believe that our community is fractured. Our power is in standing together," Johnson said in the email.

UNR Adds Latinx, LGBTQ+ Dorm Wings

By • Aug 30, 2019
A male student wearing shorts and short sleeve shirt walks out of the Nevada Living Learning Community residence hall. There is grass and strees in front of the brick building that has windows facing the grassy area.
Andrew Mendez

Editor’s note (9-27-19): Since this article was published, the University of Nevada, Reno has provided new language abour the Latinx dorm wing. According to UNR: “This living learning community is open to all qualified students with an interest in Latinx culture and history and/or identify as Latinx.” The audio and text for t