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New mom Urbina starts 'dream job'

Doug Flanagan/Post-Register
Feb. 11, 2010

There have been some big changes in Raquel Urbina’s life lately, some exciting changes — she recently had her first child and moved to Quincy with husband Jesse to be near family.

In the midst of the transitions she’s going through, Urbina is grateful that she’s returning to something familiar.

Urbina started work at the Quincy Valley Post-Register on Feb. 1 as a graphic designer and advertising sales representative. This will be the second go-around at the Post-Register for Urbina, who worked there for about a year in 2005.

She then worked for the Wenatchee World as a graphic designer for about five years before having daughter Isabela in November.

Since she’ll be able to work largely from home and have flexibility in her work schedule to accommodate her new lifestyle, Urbina thinks a return to the Post-Register is an ideal choice.

“This just fits perfectly,” Urbina said. “This is my dream job. I’m really excited.”

Post-Register publisher Chuck Allen is excited to see Urbina return as well.

“When I first came here, Raquel was working as the graphic designer and I could see that she was very talented and a great person to work with,” Allen said. “When she went to work at the World, I was happy for her, but disappointed that I wouldn’t get to work with her. I’m thrilled that circumstances in her life have allowed her to come back. She’s done a wonderful job, and will continue to be an important part of our operation.”

Urbina, who grew up in Quincy, developed an interest in art while in school, and after graduation attended the International Academy of Design in Tampa, Fla.

“I’ve never been in a more creative place,” she said.

She spent two years in Florida and attained a degree before returning to Quincy. Within a year, she landed the graphic design position at the Post-Register.

“That was my first graphic design job,” she said. “I didn’t know I was going to fall into working at a newspaper. This is where I got my experience. School doesn’t totally prepare you for what’s out there.You have to get your experience somewhere.

“I always knew I wanted to do something in art, but I wasn’t going to be a painter or something like that where I couldn’t make a lot of money. With graphic design, I could earn a living and use my creative side. It doesn’t even feel like a job.”

Her talents were quickly realized by the Wenatchee World. During her time working there, Urbina saw her design skills grow, while adding new elements to her resume through working in a different environment.

“It was more like an ad agency,” she said. “People worked in groups. I got experience in marketing and selling, finding out what can work and what doesn’t. Sometimes when the sales people were gone I’d fill in and talk to the customers, and I’d help come up with ad campaigns.”

Now, Urbina is returning to the Post-Register as a seasoned veteran capable of doing a variety of things for the newspaper and the community as a whole.

“I feel more confident,” she said. “With the marketing experience I have, I feel that I can help a lot of people. I think the hardest part of selling is hearing people say no, but you just have to brush it off.”

The fact that Urbina is bilingual will help her as well.

“The key is the Shopper, because it’s mailed to everybody,” she said. “Everybody looks at it, whether you speak English or Spanish. It’s a good product that reaches a lot of people.”

Of course, when she’s not working, Urbina will most likely be at home tending to her newborn.

“You can’t believe how much your life changes (when you have a child),” she said. “It’s changed my life completely. It’s like, I can’t believe I quit my job (at the World). Isabela runs the household already. She runs the whole show.”

Urbina’s main hobby is reading, and even though she doesn’t have as much time these days to read as she used to, she still retains her passion for a good book.

“I used to go to the library, check out five books and read all of them in a month. Now maybe I’ll get to one or two,” she said. “I like the ‘chick lit.’ Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors.”