Amaris Castillo

Amaris Castillo is a research/writing assistant for NPR public editor Kelly McBride and a contributor to Poynter.org. She is also the creator of Bodega Stories, a passion project and series featuring real stories from the corner store.

Prior to joining Poynter, Amaris juggled being a stay-at-home mom with freelance work and stringer gigs for The New York Times. She most recently worked as a local reporter/feature writer for The Sun in Lowell, Massachusetts. Prior to that, she covered breaking news, crime, and Anna Maria Island as a reporter for the Bradenton Herald in Bradenton, Florida.

Amaris has received fellowships from the Society for Features Journalism, the International Women’s Media Foundation, and the Journalism & Women Symposium. She is also a past grantee of the International Center for Journalists.

Amaris holds a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. She’s also a proud graduate of the Poynter High School Journalism Program. Amaris lives in Tampa with her family. Find her on Twitter @AmarisCastillo.