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About

CONTEXT OF ISLANDS

Pasquines is a nonprofit news organization, led and run by volunteers, dedicated to ending the insularity between the United States and its territories.

We believe that the United States territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, are needlessly absent from national conversations involving politics, policy, design, and innovation. At the same time, local discussions negate the impact that federal issues have on life in these jurisdictions. That is why we are focused on bringing local issues to the national conversation, and national issues to local consideration. In the face of a challenging environment for journalism, we seek to pioneer innovative news publishing that is focused on rising students and journalists; raise awareness of the existence and conditions of the territories; and inspire inclusion of these citizens in all critical considerations. With ardent tenacity to eradicate the insularity between the nation and the territories, we publish the context of islands.

Creative Commons License
The work by Pasquines is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License, except where otherwise indicated.

OUR MISSION

To end the insularity between the United States and its territories and to inspire the inclusion of these citizens in all critical considerations.

OUR VISION

To provide factual, accurate, and thorough content for unreported and ignored issues, focusing on the affairs of the United States territories.
We are produced by a team all over the world but are headquartered in Washington, DC, on the ancestral lands of the Anacostans (Nacotchtank) and the neighboring Piscataway and Pamunkey peoples. FUNDING & GOVERNANCE >
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INN member badge Lion Publishers The Hack Foundation logo Pasquines is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).
LEADERSHIP
William-José Vélez González

William-José Vélez González

Editor in Chief

William-José Vélez González is a native from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and a graduate from Florida International University in biomedical engineering, engineering management, and international relations. A designer with a strong interest in science, policy, and innovation, he previously served as the national executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association. William-José lives in Washington, DC, where he works at the Children’s National Research Institute and runs Opsin, a nonprofit design studio dedicated to making design more accessible. You can see him on Love is Blind as Lydia’s brother. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of Pasquines.

POSTS
Fiona Ren

Fiona Ren

Intern Copyeditor

Fiona Ren (she/her) is a full time engineering undergraduate student. She ultimately hopes to develop a career in environmental conservation efforts, which are near and dear to her heart. However, she also holds a lifelong passion for language and composition. Fiona believes that free access to information about global, national, and local events is necessary to being a responsible citizen and person. Furthermore, language, the closest thing to telepathy that people have currently mastered, is one of the most important tools for informational exchange of any nature. Therefore, she holds a firm stance against and all use of LLM and generative AI tools, but especially so in writing.

Holger Droessler

Holger Droessler

American Samoa Affairs Associate Editor

Born in Germany, Holger Droessler earned a PhD in American Studies from Harvard University in 2015. He is an Assistant Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. A historian of 19th- and 20th-century US history, he studies colonialism, capitalism, and the Pacific Ocean. His current book project, Coconut Colonialism: Workers and the Globalization of Samoa, argues that the globalization of Samoa at the turn of the 20th century was driven by a diverse group of working people on and off the islands. 
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Ariana gonzalez

Ariana gonzalez

At Large Intern Editor

Ariana Gonzalez is a young professional located in Boston, she has interned for several news outlets such as WGBH, El Mundo Boston, Amherst Media, and Pasquines. She loves to write about politics, the environment, and Latino Affairs. In her spare time, Ariana likes to crochet things for her friends, listen to new music, and learn Portuguese. 
POSTS
Ellie Lakatos

Ellie Lakatos

Assistant Managing Editor

Ellie Lakatos is a student at Scripps College majoring in English, writing and rhetoric. Working for three newspapers, she is experienced in journalistic writing and collaboration while also enjoying creative writing such as poetry. In addition, Ellie has written and published other articles on the internet- from short stories to informative pieces- for various publications. Speaking Slovak as her first langage, she is accustomed to working hard to improve and grow as a writer. Her motto of “writing an impact” is carried with her within each piece of writing as she strives to ensure that each and every word she chooses along with its message helps to build the overarching meaning of her work.

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OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Aarav Pinge

Aarav Pinge is a rising junior at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California. He is an avid Lincoln-Douglas debater and recently competed at the NSDA Nationals. Aarav is a conference director for Model United Nations, co-vice president of the Indian Student Association at his school and will serve on the school’s Service Leadership Board for the upcoming school year. He plays on the junior varsity baseball team as a pitcher and second baseman. Passionate about the performing arts, Aarav has acted in two school productions as both lead and supporting cast. Outside of school, he volunteers with the South Asian Network and served as the Youth MC at the 10th Annual API Youth Forum. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows, movies, baseball videos, and playing video games. Aarav is a Political Affairs Intern Correspondent at Pasquines.

Amber Jiao

Amber Jiao is a student at Poolesville High School in Poolesville, Maryland. She is passionate about public policy and social justice. In her free time, Amber enjoys rock climbing, visiting art museums, and exploring the city with her friends. At Pasquines, she is a Political Affairs Intern Correspondent.

Amy Jia

Amy Jia is a junior at Sage Hill School in Southern California. She is passionate about public policy and enjoys exploring different perspectives on global societal issues. At school, she is active in DECA and serves as a member of the debate team. In her free time, she likes spending time with friends and family, shopping and traveling to new places. Amy is an American Samoa Affairs Intern Correspondent at Pasquines.

Mariana Concepcion

Mariana Concepción is a sophomore at Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas in Puerto Rico. She is passionate about political science, journalism, and examining how policy shapes communities on the island. At school, she is active in National Honor Society, Robotics, and leads her service club, Letters for Change. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, volleyball, and exploring new topics to deepen her understanding of Puerto Rico’s social and cultural landscape. Mariana is a Puerto Rico Affairs Intern Correspondent at Pasquines.

Oreo

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Oreo Velez Gonzalez has been with Pasquines' founder and editor in chief since 2015 and has lived in Miami, Florida, and now in Washington, DC. His passions include ensuring the editor in chief has a good work-life balance and outdoor activities. At Pasquines, Oreo is a Canine Affairs Correspondent.

Zara Miller

Zara Miller is an advocate and researcher passionate about environmental policy, diplomacy, and economics. She is a Federal Affairs Intern Correspondent at Pasquines, where she contributes to coverage of political and economic developments. As a 2024 Borlaug-Ruan International Intern for the World Food Prize, she received a full scholarship to conduct research at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India. She has also lobbied politicians with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, created election guides for 40+ local schools with Kids Voting Durham, and was selected as a 2025 Coca Cola Scholar.