Mario Montalvo is originally from South Texas. He graduated from Texas Christian University in 2015 and is a two-time Hispanic Communicator DFW Scholarship winner (2014 and 2015).
During college, Mario was an editor for the Tarrant County College Collegian newspaper. He also interned at the Fort Worth Weekly, and worked as a production assistant at KXAS NBC5 before being hired as a multimedia journalist at an NBC affiliate in Bakersfield, California.
Mario now resides in Redding, California and is currently bureau chief for Action News Now at an NBC/CBS station.
What is your most rewarding part of your job?
Latinos are largely underrepresented in the community where I live, so it makes me proud to be able to be one of the few Hispanic faces representing my news station. Connecting with the community, has been especially rewarding for me as well. And when someone tells me they watch and enjoy my stories, it’s the best compliment a journalist can receive.
How did the Hispanic Communicators-DFW scholarship help you achieve your goals?
Financial aid only covers so much. So without the scholarships I received from Hispanic Communicators DFW, I would not have been able to accomplish my academic goals. As an older, non-traditional student, I had to work two jobs at times and support a spouse, so it really helped make ends meet. Also, Hispanic Communicators DFW has been like a family to me. They’ve always stood behind me and offered incredible support and connections I know I can count on for years to come.
What has been the most interesting event in your career?
Here in Northern California, I’ve had the privilege of covering many stories that have made national headlines. But the biggest story I’ve had the opportunity to cover was the disappearance of local mom Sherri Papini. I lived, ate and breathed that story for 22 days from beginning to end. It was surreal to be covering it alongside reporters from national and international news organizations. People still ask me about that story all the time.
What are you most proud of?
My biggest accomplishment, I’d have to say is graduating college. It took me longer than normal at later in life to accomplish my goal. But I stuck through it, worked hard, studied hard and graduated from a top-rated university. It may not sound that grand for some, but to be the first and only one in my family to have earned a degree is something that is very special to me.