Whether the story involves the drama of Stockton city politics or the beauty of folkloric dancing, reporter Andrea Baltodano covers all with zeal and gratitude.
The newest member of Stocktonia’s reporting team, Baltodano views her journalism career as a chance to learn, interact with interesting people and hold government to account. She covers the Stockton City Hall beat, along with whatever other juicy stories break during the day.
“I love talking to people. I love telling people’s stories,” Baltodano said. “Having this job is a great responsibility, and I approach it with a lot of caution.”
As an immigrant from Nicaragua, Baltodano said she appreciates the opportunity to report events accurately and honestly, taking advantage of press freedoms that are lacking in her native land. She arrived in the U.S. two years ago under an asylum program.
She said as a journalist in Nicaragua, she experienced repression firsthand.
Nicaragua has been under the grip of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega for nearly 20 years. He rose to power in 2007 after initially leading the nation in the 1980s. He currently rules with his wife as co-president, and in July, Ortega announced plans to scrap democratic elections.
Baltodano attended Universidad Centroamerica in Nicaragua. There, she both participated in protests to decry government policies and covered them as a reporter. All the while, she witnessed increasing crackdowns on protesters.
Participating in “even the most minimal demonstration, that would put you in jail,” she said. Between the protests and her social media posts, “I always had a little bit of self-awareness that what I was doing was putting me at risk.”
There were other ominous signs too. The government took control of her Jesuit-run university, putting her personal information in jeopardy. She sensed she was being watched. She said she received phone calls in which the caller would stay on the line, but be silent.
Despite the ongoing political repression, Baltodano has warm memories of growing up in Nicaragua. She swam in the river, enjoyed meals of grilled meats with family and friends and watched soccer games with her father.
The oldest of three children, Baltodano comes from a close family. Her mother is a Spanish teacher. Her father runs a transportation business in the small town of Diriamba, about 25 miles from the capital of Managua.
She has been bilingual since a young age, thanks to frequent visits to a group of Christian outreach pastors and ministers from Louisiana who established themselves near the Baltodano family home. She got to know them through her father, whose firm provided transportation for the group.
Baltodano said she considered alternatives to journalism. Becoming a professional soccer player was a possibility, but it doesn’t pay well, she mused. A short stint in the Nicaraguan National Guard quickly convinced her that a soldier’s life wasn’t for her either.
Journalism was her passion. But she soon discovered the only way she would be able to practice without fear of reprisal was to emigrate.
“It was a difficult decision, but I made it out of safety and knowing it was a step I needed to take if I wanted to go farther in journalism,” Baltodano said.
Making it even more difficult was a warning from Nicaraguan authorities when she arrived at the airport. Baltodano said she was told as she departed the country for the U.S. that she might not be allowed back.
Still, she forged ahead. She first set foot in San Francisco on April 5, 2024 — a date she says she won’t forget. From there, she went about creating a new life in America, enrolling at San Joaquin Delta College and landing a job as a receptionist at a music school. She took classes and became editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Collegian. She also freelanced for Stocktonia and CalMatters, a respected statewide news service.
Most recently, Baltodano joined The New York Times Corps, a highly competitive mentorship program for undergraduates. Under the guidance of Danielle Ivory, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The Times, Baltodano will receive career guidance and feedback during the multiyear program.
While working full time as a staff writer for Stocktonia, Baltodano plans to continue her education, pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
She said she’s thrilled with her new life, what she considers the embodiment of the American dream.
“I am still in the ‘pinch-me’ phase of it,” she said. “It’s a dream come true. I couldn’t be happier.”