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

I was born and raised in Torrance, California. I completed my undergraduate degree in May 2022 at Pacific University, a private, liberal arts college in Forest Grove, Oregon. I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in film and video production. I’m very grateful that I also had the opportunity to play baseball at Pacific, winning back-to-back conference championships my junior and senior year.

Before enrolling in graduate school, I stayed in Oregon and took a gap year looking to gain as much work experience as possible. I worked a variety of jobs and internships pertaining to sports game day operations, sports marketing, interpersonal communication and social media for local minor league sports teams and Nike corporation. 

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

I learned about the USC graduate degree program through previous professors, friends, family and a lot of research. I went through various websites searching for the best journalism programs in the U.S. I chose USC Annenberg because I knew it was the best option for me to be able to thrive as a journalist, continue to learn and make a name for myself. The confidence in the school and the people that represent USC create an environment unlike any other. There are many opportunities to gain experience from prestigious faculty ranging from different reporting tracks and platforms. Classes within the program allow journalists to expand their skill set from learning how to code a website, to learning how to use Adobe editing programs for audio and video pieces. I knew that I could not pass up on this opportunity. I do have to give credit to the community I grew up in and my family for helping me get to this point. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that there are people who are proud of who I’ve become and are excited for what’s to come next.

What have you enjoyed the most about the degree program?

My time in this program has been surreal. One thing I’ve enjoyed about this degree program is the amount of networking possibilities. No matter your interests or passions, there is always someone at USC Annenberg who will help connect you with people. This program has allowed me to fully engage with sports professionals, media networks and USC alumni in hopes to build a relationship that may help me in the future. Networking also stems from professors, advisors or even fellow classmates. You never know who you’re going to run into while being at USC! 

Another thing I’ve enjoyed is the freedom you have to use the resources available throughout USC Annenberg. It’s rare to find a facility with state-of-the-art equipment available for student’s use. From numerous recording studios, to the edit bay, even the quality production equipment available to check out, there’s free reign to let a journalist’s creative mind run free. For me, it consists of combining my athletic experiences with a desire to communicate and create dynamic sports media content knowing that every story, no matter how big or well-known, deserves the opportunity to be told