If you’ve been following Ruido Studios, you know that our work is grounded on cultivating emerging communicators and digital organizers in South Texas. We are training homegrown leaders to build the community power we need to shift the border narrative and take back our right to define our stories and future.

That’s why we’re so excited to congratulate Valerie Hernandez and Ruby Fuentes, our first-ever Ruidosos Fellowship graduates! Help us celebrate Ruby and Valerie by leaving a comment on our latest Instagram post.

Ten months ago, we launched the pilot cohort of our Ruidosos Fellowship, a program designed to train emerging community leaders to use communications and digital strategies for social change. Our goal was to give folks hands-on experience while receiving mentorship and coaching from local experts to guide their work. 

We chose our two fellows, Ruby and Valerie, who were each placed with one of our host organizations: The Sidewalk School and Frontera Fund, respectively. These organizations work on reproductive justice, abortion access, immigration, and asylum rights— some of the most critical issues that are driving the border narrative. During their time with the host orgs, our fellows learned everything from managing day-to-day social media and hosting community events to understanding the challenges and complexities community organizations are facing daily in South Texas. 

Communications work is about more than just viral videos or vanity metrics. This work is about defending our history, defining our present, and envisioning a future where all of us can thrive, no matter our race, genders, or background. The narratives we believe about ourselves and our people shape what we believe is possible. So while a handful of outsider extremists want to control our narratives for their own political and economic gain, we’re building a new generation of courageous local leaders who are ready and prepared to fight back and win.

We learned so so much alongside Ruby and Valerie, and we congratulate them on their courage, grittiness, and the creativity they offered throughout the program. Please join us in celebrating their growth and leadership by leaving a comment on our post!

And if you’re curious about their learnings, make sure you’re following us on social media to catch our fellowship recaps and videos we’re putting out soon. 

Once again, ¡felicidades, Ruby y Valerie!

Puro 956*,

Ruido Studios Team

*What does “puro 956” mean? Puro 956 is proudly used by people from South Texas who live in the 956 area code to express pride in our region, culture, and people. From Grupo Frontera to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Puro 956 is our way of representing the 956 wherever we go.