CHARLESTON, SC NEWS - LIVE 5 WCSC Breaking News, Weather, SportsHatzel Vela
Member Center:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Associate Producer, WSVN-TV (Miami)
General Assignment Reporter, The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN)
Chips Quinn Scholar
NEWS PHILOSOPHY:
To be fair when telling a story. Hatzel enjoys covering breaking news.
"The rush is unlike any other," he says.
EDUCATION:
Bachelors of Science in Communications
Florida International University
Miami
PLACE OF BIRTH:
Nicaraguan by birth, but a Miamian at heart. Hatzel's family emigrated from Central America to the United States in the mid-1980s. Political instability, civil unrest and ongoing war prompted his parents to seek a safer haven for Hatzel and his sister. In 2000, Hatzel went back to Nicaragua and spent time with relatives who still live there. He says he loved it and hopes to visit again.
HOBBIES, INTERESTS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Hatzel enjoys hanging out with his new friends in Charleston, which he says is one of the best cities in America. But any chance he gets, he goes back to Miami to spend time with his family and long-time friends. When he's not working, Hatzel enjoys biographies and history books. Recently, he has taken up running again and says there's no way he's skipping out on the Cooper River Bridge run next year. Though he reluctantly admits it, Hatzel also enjoys playing what he calls "nerdy computer games."
For a few months, Hatzel was involved in the Metanoia Program, a faith-based after school program that trains kids to be future leaders in a safe and positive environment. Since he began reporting for the evening news, Hatzel has unfortunately had to cut ties with the program, but says he is looking for another volunteer program that fits his schedule. He is a board member of the local Crimestoppers organization and a committee member of the Latino Citizens Academy.
FAMILY:
Cancer research is dear to his heart. Hatzel's mother died of colon cancer almost a decade ago. His father, Orlando, lives in Miami with his younger sister, Nayiba. Hatzel is also very close to his aunt and uncle, who have been like a set of second parents throughout his life. Their three sons Alejandro, Kevin and Jason are like his younger brothers. The two elder brothers, Alejandro and Kevin, attend the University of Florida.
BOOKS AND MUSIC:
Hatzel says he is currently reading "Understanding Thomas Jefferson" by E.M. Halliday.
He likes listening to Hip Hop, Rap, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Alternative and some Latin. Hatzel says he is also surprised by his attraction to Blue Grass.
LIKES BEST ABOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY:
Hatzel is a bit of a history buff and says Charleston is a paradise.
"I walk downtown and try to imagine how things were 100 or 200 years ago," he says.
Hatzel says he's never met people as nice as those in the Lowcountry and thinks they are very hospitable.
Email Hatzel at hvela@live5news.com
