The National Association of Hispanic Journalists DC chapter is thrilled to announce the recipients of the NAHJ DC x Google Scholarship: Claire Huss and Raphael Romero Ruiz.

Claire Huss — Undergraduate Recipient

Claire is a second-year journalism student at the University of Maryland, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She currently writes for The Diamondback and will be interning with Baltimore Magazine this spring. Claire is passionate about investigative reporting and serving Latino communities.

When she’s not reporting, Claire enjoys music, reading, and FaceTiming with her sisters.

Raphael Romero Ruiz — Graduate Recipient

Raphael is a Baltimore-based journalist and graduate fellow at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Born and raised on the south side of Tucson, Arizona, he previously worked as a border reporter for The Arizona Republic, where he covered the 2024 presidential election and the subsequent shift in federal immigration policy during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.

At the Howard Center, Raphael is developing a data journalism watchdog toolkit to identify systemic trends amid increased immigration enforcement. By grounding data-driven investigations in the direct experiences and voices of impacted immigrant communities, he aims to shed light on an often opaque enforcement machinery—making vital information accessible to the people most affected by it.

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We were deeply impressed with both Claire’s and Raphael’s stories and their dedication to the craft. We’re certain they will both continue to have bright careers in journalism.

Congratulations, Claire and Raphael! We can’t wait to see where your journalism journeys take you.

Thank you to Google for supporting the next generation of Latino journalists.