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

I am originally from West Hills, CA, and have represented Los Angeles throughout my educational experience. I completed my associate's degree at Los Angeles Valley College and received a bachelor of communication from the University of California, Los Angeles last year. I am just 21 years old, but journalism is my second career. I am a professional actor, having starred on children's television shows on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, as well as guest appearances on networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Showtime, and TBS.

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

 I picked up the journalism bug during my undergraduate years and since my previous institution did not offer degrees in the field, I wanted to learn from the best and brightest the country has to offer. I began to search for post-graduate programs that would challenge me and help me pick up skills in journalism I had yet to learn. Hearing directly from the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism professors swayed me to want to stay in Los Angeles. There is a personal connection with each professor at USC that was missing when speaking to professors at other schools I was considering. Ultimately, it came down to one question: Would going to USC make me a stronger journalist and enhance the quality of my writing, production, and editing skills? The answer was simple after hearing from the faculty. Yes, it would.

What have you enjoyed the most about the degree program?

Receiving feedback from Mark Schoofs, Diane Winston, Alan Mittelstaedt, and Sandy Tolan has turned my writing upside down. I already consider myself a strong writer, but learning from professionals who've helped me properly structure and format my articles has helped me academically and professionally tenfold. Since starting at Annenberg, I've begun freelancing for the Los Angeles Times sports desk, covering high school, college, and Olympic sports. After graduation, I plan to work for a print or digital news operation full-time covering sports or societal issues that impact the everyday American. The professors here have made my dream a stronger possibility with their one-on-one feedback you'll be unable to find elsewhere.