• About
  • Masthead
    • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News
    • No image
      Performance at Punch’s Alley prompts confusion, safety concerns
    • No image
      UniLAd plans to support the local teacher union
    • No image
      Survey results reveal need for mental health support at colleges
    • News in Brief
    • Senate Report
  • Features
    • EnAct and YDSA hold crochet-in for climate action
      EnAct and YDSA hold crochet-in for climate action
    • Professor Cindy Ok Awarded Yale Younger Poets Prize
      Professor Cindy Ok Awarded Yale Younger Poets Prize
    • Trans non-binary runner talks about activism in running
      Trans non-binary runner talks about activism in running
    • Alumnae Spotlight
    • Faculty Focus
  • Opinions
    • It’s hard to not love ChatGPT
      It’s hard to not love ChatGPT
    • Under the “friendly” and “earthy” facade, Trader Joe’s hides unethical practices
      Under the “friendly” and “earthy” facade, Trader Joe’s hides unethical practices
    • Job insecurity for student workers has complex consequences
      Job insecurity for student workers has complex consequences
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Arts
    • Rio Romeo releases single “Over & Over”
      Rio Romeo releases single “Over & Over”
    • Dolly Parton confirms “Rock Star” collaborations
      Dolly Parton confirms “Rock Star” collaborations
    • MFA opens visiting exhibit “Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence”
      MFA opens visiting exhibit “Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence”
    • Books Before Boys
  • Sports and Wellness
    • No image
      What even is a BORG and why does it matter?
    • Indoor Track & Field Team Prepares for Outdoors
      Indoor Track & Field Team Prepares for Outdoors
    • What even are BORGs and why do they matter?
      What even are BORGs and why do they matter?
    • Athlete of the Month
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Top ten times feminism led us astray
      Top ten times feminism led us astray
    • Song Victims
      Song Victims
    • How to: Prep your Preschooler for the College Application Process
      How to: Prep your Preschooler for the College Application Process
By Renée Remsberg News, News and FeaturesFebruary 26, 2020

Wellesley alumna takes on AOC in the primary

The former CNBC reporter is running for congress Photo Courtesy of Caruso-Cabrera

When Michelle Caruso-Cabrera ’91 first arrived at Wellesley College she was a fish out of water. Coming from a small town, she felt out of place among the “sophisticated,” mostly affluent women from big cities like New York. While they spent their first summers at unpaid internships that had been lined up for them, she spent her summer working so that she could pay her college tuition. According to Caruso-Cabrera, it was her father who made this decision, telling her, “I want you to know what it is like to be a member of the working class… I want you to know how the rest of America lives.”

However, Caruso-Cabrera is no longer spending summers at home. After a successful career in journalism, the former CNBC reporter is now running for House District New York-14 in a primary that will take place on June 23. Caruso-Cabrera joined a dozen other primary challengers to incumbent Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens.

“I got into this race because I am the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants,” Caruso-Cabrera said. “Because of their experiences, I was able to live their American Dream and I believe in that American Dream.”

The candidate, who is running as a Democrat, falls to the political right of Orcasio-Cortez, who identifies as a Democratic Socialist and who has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary.

Wellesley gives women strength

Caruso-Cabrera came to Wellesley in 1987 on a National Merit Scholarship, having served as editor of her school’s newspaper, and then graduating second in her high school class. During college, she continued in journalism and became the Editor-in-Chief of The Wellesley News while concurrently writing for the education section of the New York Times. She graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

According to Caruso-Cabrera, Wellesley had a “huge impact” on her career, along with her parents and the privilege of living in the United States. 

“Wellesley gives women strength,” Caruso-Cabrera said in an interview with The Wellesley News. “Wellesley gives me the strength in many ways to try something very, very different and something that’s going to be enormously difficult.”

The alum is currently number 28 on the Wellesley 100 and was named one of the most influential Hispanics in the country by Hispanic Business Magazine. 

“She’s very articulate,” economics professor Joseph Joyce said. “Whether or not you agree with some of her political beliefs, she’ll engage you.”

Joyce recalls having Caruso-Cabrera in his class, though much of his current impressions of her are based on her record and subsequent visits to Wellesley for economics alumni reunions. He cites her ability to climb up the ranks of a male-dominated industry as proof of her work ethic and intelligence.

“Don’t underestimate this woman. She’s good,” Joyce said. “I certainly would not put money against Michelle.”

Following graduation, Caruso-Cabrera was a researcher and reporter for Univision, an American Spanish-language television network, earning an Emmy for her work on a series documenting the lives of children with AIDS. Additionally, in 2004, she received a Broadcaster of the Year award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She later spent four years on general assignment for WTSP-TV, an affiliate of CBS located in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Don’t underestimate this woman

In 1998, Caruso-Cabrera joined CNBC and served as a co-host for Power Lunch with Bill Griffeth from 2002 to 2003. She continued to work for the network for 20 years and served as its Chief International Correspondent, covering the European financial crisis and more. Since leaving CNBC in 2018, Caruso-Cabrera has served as a contributor, although she will step down from that role for the duration of her campaign. 

According to Caruso-Cabrera, she has had an “intense amount of interactions” with the residents of NY-14 in order to prepare for the campaign ahead.  

“[I’ve been] spending lots and lots of time talking to them about what concerns them, what they need, what they’re looking for in a representative of congress and I very much want to give that to them,” Caruso-Cabrera said. “They want someone who’s actually going to be here a lot and they haven’t had that from their current representative and that bothers them.” 

There are three issues she’s heard the most about from the district’s residents, 50 percent of whom are unable to vote due to lack of citizenship: increasing the quality and number of jobs, bettering the local education system, and reducing crime. In particular, she has called attention to the controversy surrounding Amazon’s ill-fated bid to open a second headquarters in Queens which occurred under Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s term and garnered strong opposition from the representative. 

“You’ve got to be able to identify with your constituents and I absolutely do,” Caruso-Cabrera said. “I see in them the dreams that my grandparents and my parents have and that their children have that they want to be able to do what I was able to do.”

Tags

Caruso-CabreraNY-14Ocasio-Cortez

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleTiny Love Story
Next article#WellesleyVotes kicks off with multilateral approach to political participation

You may also like

Performance at Punch’s Alley prompts confusion, safety concerns

EnAct and YDSA hold crochet-in for climate action

UniLAd plans to support the local teacher union

1 Comment

  • Courtney Stanton says:
    February 27, 2020 at 6:04 AM

    Ha! I cannot believe you included a quote about Michelle Caruso-Cabrera calling her “articulate”. She is a highly educated JOURNALIST and has achieved so much throughout her career. Articulate? Is that the best quote you could get for a minority woman? Feels like 1960, Wellesley Editors. Come on now …

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top