Maria Peralta-Arellano joined the Desk in 2026 as a contributing reporter and reports for WXPR. Prior to joining WXPR, Peralta-Arellano reported in Milwaukee as the Eric Von Fellow for WUWM, Milwaukee’s NPR. She covered topics that included environment, immigration, the arts and culture, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices. Her career is shaped by her experiences working with local and independent news organizations, freelancing for a bilingual newspaper, El Conquistador, covering community needs. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism. She also minored in political science and earned a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies.