Yuliana Caraballo Cabrera was a high school student in San Juan when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico with devastating force.

“I remember the windows exploding at 3 a.m. and our building swaying in the wind. I thought we were going to die,” she says. “We had no utilities for months. I was terrified of another weather catastrophe.”

That fear, in time, turned into curiosity, inspiring Caraballo Cabrera to learn all she could about atmospheric science and extreme weather events. She also discovered she had a talent for storytelling and weaving facts into narrative to inform audiences. 

Today, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in television at Boston University’s College of Communication and putting her fascination with the weather and journalism skills to work as a production intern at Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra (WNEU), housed in the NBCUniversal Boston Media Center. She provides writing, editing, and control room assistance for the Spanish-language TV station’s regional news operation—including supporting meteorologist Abimael Castro Rivera.

“New England weather is crazy,” Caraballo Cabrera laughs, experiencing her first major snowstorms from a meteorologist’s perspective. “Abimael is teaching me how to interpret meteorological data models and build custom graphics for different scenarios,” from heat warnings to blizzards. “Weather is so important to our Hispanic audiences.” 

The Path from San Juan to Boston University

Caraballo Cabrera studied journalism and news production as an undergrad at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, where she apprenticed at STV Noticias, a student-run Spanish-language digital newscast, and its sister English-language station, STV News.

She also attended Telemundo Academy, which offers workshops to teach students about news production. There, she met news professionals from Telemundo New England, who encouraged her to apply for an internship in Boston. At the same time, she learned about COM’s Master of Science in Television graduate program. 

“The faculty and department chairs have years of real-world experience in TV and film, from talk shows to documentaries to reality shows,” Caraballo Cabrera says. “Knowledge is power. I wanted to learn from media [veterans] who could show me how things are really done.” 

She was also impressed by COM’s expanded film and television production studio. “BU offered me opportunities to become a well-rounded professional,” she adds. In addition to her Telemundo internship, she also serves as a technical director for Boston University Athletics broadcasts on streaming platforms like ESPN+.

Forecasting a Future in Spanish-Language Television

Now in her second year of the master’s program, Caraballo Cabrera looks forward to combining all her classroom and studio experiences to explore what’s ahead on the horizon. Her goal is to work in TV back in Puerto Rico, to continue informing and entertaining Spanish-language audiences.

“I’m getting news at the Telemundo internship. I’m getting sports with BU Athletics. And I’m getting reality,  documentary, and talk shows with the MS in TV program,” she says. “By combining the TV and news realms, I’m becoming a well-rounded, 360-degree professional. That’s what makes this program worth it to me.”