Rosa Marcela Rabens

Marcela Rabens was born in Perú and from a very young age she liked reading, music, and arts, but she really liked communicating with people, so at just 15 years old she started a radio program on a local station where she shared: music, interviews, and joy with your radio listening audience. As time went by, while studying communication, she became interested in more serious topics due to the political, economic, and social crisis in Perú and she decided to produce a news program on a local station and then began working in the National News Department of Panamericana Televisión (Peru). Marcela Rabens, in addition to her hard work, also dedicated part of her time doing social work by joining other groups. Rabens, served as director of the Department of Culture in a town in central Peru and helped promote cultural activities and events with her local community.

In 2002, Marcela Rabens arrived in Charleston, like many immigrants with many hopes and dreams, and after working cleaning houses and learning English, she created the first local free Spanish newspaper, Universal Latin News Charleston, with the purpose of being able to serve, inform, educate, guide and keep in communication the entire Hispanic community of Charleston and its surroundings, as well as create a bridge of connection between the Hispanic community and other communities. Later in 2015, due to the need of the local Hispanic community to find information about community resources, she created the Charleston Latina Guide, a free local Hispanic directory, which contains information on resources that are available for the communities; At the beginning of 2023 she started hosting a radio show, Rimo Latino, on Ohm Radio 96.3 FM., where she featured Hispanic music, cultures, artists and interviews with Latino singers, songwriters, notable Hispanics characters.

She served on the Board of the Trident United Way, Trident Literacy Association, and on the College of Charleston Diversity Board and Hispanic Study Advisory Board. Marcela Rabens is currently serving on the Trident United Way Board, she is a member of the Lowcountry Digital Equally Coalition, and she is the Director of the Digital News Production of Universal Latin News Charleston.

Marcela Rabens believes that good communication within the framework of respect serves to unify and agree and thus contribute to the development of a town, city, or country and she always has been in favor of democracy, that is why she’s always joining different volunteer and social support groups, which is why she received his first Award in the city of Charleston in 2009, by the nonprofit organization Charleston Trident Urban League; in 2022 she received the Funder Award by the nonprofit organization, Trident Literacy Association; in 2022, she received the Award for supporting the Hispanic Business Expo 2022 by the Nelson Consulting; in 2023, she is was one of the Honorees on Media of What Women Bring by the Nonprofit organization YWCA Greater Charleston; in 2023, She has been selected as a member of the Diversity Leaders Initiative’s (DLI) 17th Lowcountry Class hosted by the Riley Institute at Furman University; in 2024, she received a plaque with a resolutions that was approved by the South Carolina Senate in a unanimous vote, recognizing her work, dedication and service to the Lowcountry through the Universal Latin News Charleston.

Marcela Rabens is married to Christian Rabens, a native of Charlestonian. They have 5 Shih Tzus names: Chewbacca, Chiquita, Luke Skywalker, Leia, and Bella.

“Our destiny depends on setting our sights on where we want to go.”