Maria CarrilloDeputy Editor, Enterprise
I grew up speaking Spanish at home, thanks to my Cuban parents, and my kindergarten teacher at Pixieland once complained to my mom about my poor English. I caught up quickly, though. Became a journalist because I love words and couldn’t believe someone would pay me to string them together. Now I get paid to edit stories that usually take a lot of time and effort. Mostly, they run on Sundays. I moved to St. Pete from Houston and to Texas from Norfolk, Va. Apparently, I’m drawn to swampland and places that attract hurricanes.
![Maria Carrillo - Deputy Editor, Enterprise](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 50 50"/%3E "Maria Carrillo - Deputy Editor, Enterprise")
![Trash collects in JoeÕs Creek Watershed, Pinellas Park Ditch, on Sept. 17, 2019 in Pinellas Park. The grasses and sediment acts as camouflages for an alligator to the right of the trash.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"/%3E "Trash collects in JoeÕs Creek Watershed, Pinellas Park Ditch, on Sept. 17, 2019 in Pinellas Park. The grasses and sediment acts as camouflages for an alligator to the right of the trash.")
The Tampa Bay Times has a seat in a Florida Waters Stewardship Program, a seven-week course that aims to teach residents how to do their part. Follow along as we move in and out of the classroom and...