Grizzly Gazette

Mercedes Barriga

Mercedes Barriga, Staff Writer

All content by Mercedes Barriga
Seniors, Erik Estrada (left) and Montserrat Rodriguez (right), complete their homework and attend daily classes in the Godinez quad. Photo taken May 4, 2021

Seniors Given Approval to Return to Campus

Mercedes Barriga, Staff Writer May 15, 2021

It is over a year since the pandemic began and changed the lives of millions of students--including soon-to-be graduating seniors at Godinez Fundamental High School (GFHS).  Senior year, for many,...

Senior, Michael Martinez (top center), poses alongside fellow marching band members as they celebrate the end of a successful season with a photoshoot during his junior year.

Everybody Has a Story: Michael Martinez

Mercedes Barriga, Staff Writer March 31, 2021

In second grade, Michael Martinez failed his Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) exam. With a belief in his potential and the urge to see him succeed, his teacher, Maureen Elstead, from Glenn L. Martin...

Our class photo in the center with a few phrases from some of our journalists reflections of the past year since the March 13, 2020, lockdown.

A Year in Reflection: Stories from the Newsroom One Year After it all Began or Ended

Editor's Note: The following is a reflection from our editor-in-chief, Wendy Rodriguez. One year. One year after it all began--or ended.  March seems like an eternity. Yet, here we are, one year...

Good Riddance, 2020

Good Riddance, 2020

Mercedes Barriga, Staff Writer March 13, 2021

If 2020 was a year of indescribable change, then 2021 is surely a year of reflection—a reflection that’s painful yet cathartic for many like me, whose lives evolved. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly...

Our reporter, Mercedes Barriga (center), with her grandparents Mercedes and Trinidad Barriga.

[Photo] One Santa Ana Family’s Experience with COVID

February 16, 2021

Our reporter, Mercedes Barriga (center), with her grandparents Mercedes and Trinidad Barriga.

Orange County COVID-19 case investigator, Jessica Jimenez, at her workspace in her home. She works a full day as part of the contact tracing program connecting the dots of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

COVID-19 Continues to Change Lives in Orange County

With over 242,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 3,848 deaths in Orange County, Calif., and 44,000+ in Santa Ana, it is clear that the coronavirus has had a major impact on our community.  Now more...

1st Place Prose: Brighter Days are Nigh

Mercedes Barriga, Author February 14, 2021

The light of the winter sun wanes past the horizon. It paints streaks across my skin as I stand with feet sinking into the powdery snow. I can feel its familiar burn beyond my closed eyelids and in my...

President Elect Joe Biden poses with supporters from Todos con Biden.

Latinos Showed Up for this Election

Mercedes Barriga, Reporter December 4, 2020

Weeks after the 2020 presidential election, many still try to comprehend the fiasco that the election process was--especially Latino voters. With cutthroat competition in battleground states, accusations...

Eager to teach, AP Human Geography and AP Government teacher, Megan Blash, has her two computers out ready for her next class.

Students and Teachers Pay the Price of Online Learning

With the city of Santa Ana having the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases in Orange County, schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) continue distance learning for the start of the 2020-2021...

Load More Stories

Comments (0)

All Grizzly Gazette Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest
Activate Search
Mercedes Barriga