I'm Juan Suarez, an international student from
Colombia
. I speak English and Spanish fluently. I hold a degree in political science with focus in international affairs from a Colombian university and am currently finishing a diploma in Journalism and Mass Media at Durham College, where I have written for the school newspaper,
The Chronicle.
Although I cover a variety of beats, my preferred areas are politics, government, public policy, migration, international affairs, social justice, inequality and underrepresented or marginalized communities.
I have covered stories such as Ontario's post-secondary journalism crisis, which blend historical review, explanatory reporting, and solutions journalism. I also covered the 2025 Draw the Line Rally in downtown Toronto, where I interviewed several foreign workers and advocates. Additionally, I had the opportunity to sit down with an expert to discuss a provincial housing bill, as well as interview elected officials representing Durham in the House of Commons along with one of the bill's co-sponsors.
I am a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), where I serve on the Membership Committee and am part of the CAJ's mentorship program as a mentee. I'm also a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Finally, I am part of the advisory committee of Latin Business Network Durham.
My profile is diverse and intersectional: I am bilingual and multicultural, bringing a queer, BIPOC migrant from the Global South perspective to my work. I have a strong background and passion for politics, and will be completing my internship at The Globe and Mail's business news desk.
Prior to pursuing journalism studies in Canada, I spent over two years working in the FinTech and PayTech sectors in regulatory compliance roles across Latin America, as an International Compliance Associate certified associate. Since moving to Canada, I have continued working in the financial services industry—this time within retail banking at one of the Big Five (TD).
I've lived in 26+ apartments across five cities and three countries. I'm bad at math but love numbers, stats and data, which has led me to become proficient in spreadsheets, SQL, and data visualization tools.