Where are you from and what were you doing before enrolling in graduate school?

I’m from Lakewood, California, roughly 23 miles away from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Before enrolling in graduate school, I was trying to make sense of my life after a breakup, losing my grandmother to COVID-19, and earning my bachelor’s degree in journalism from Cal State Long Beach in 2021, which had left me with no obligation to return to the education system for the first time in my life.

How did you learn of the degree program and why did you choose USC Annenberg?

I learned of the Specialized Journalism (The Arts) program during my undergraduate schooling when one of the editors from Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles (Carla) visited our class and mentioned that this program exists. I hadn’t known that I’d apply months later, but I bookmarked the application anyway. USC Annenberg was an easy choice because this is the only journalism school in Los Angeles that has a focus in arts journalism, a craft that wasn’t as emphasized in my undergraduate studies as news writing. In fact, I didn’t apply to any other universities.

What have you enjoyed the most about the degree program?

There’s a wealth to appreciate about this program, but I most value the freedom that professors afford their arts journalists in regards to the many ways one can tell a story, the exposure to endlessly fascinating readings and debates, the exceedingly patient and empathetic professors when it comes to graduate student life and the cohort of writers who vehemently believe in the arts as much as I do. I wouldn’t be where and who I am today without the program’s latest director and professor, Oscar Garza. There is a before and after Garza, and I’m eternally grateful for his guidance.