Career Path Of A Journalist At CNN

I went to UC Santa Barbara for college. I had some really good mentors who spoke to me about my interest in journalism, which had already started in high school.

I was worried that UC Santa Barbara didn't have a journalism program specifically, and I was thinking about going to other schools where I could major in journalism. But those mentors told me not to worry. They said that if I studied relevant subjects and got involved in as many ways as possible, I would be okay.

That definitely ended up being the case. I loved UCSD and was glad I didn't base my decision solely on my major. I studied political science, which was very relevant to journalism, and minored in writing, which gave me more writing experience.

However, the most important thing I did in college was outside the classroom. I got involved in different activities. I wrote for the school newspaper, the Daily Nexus. I also interned at CTV, a local government-run TV station that lets college students create their first journalistic projects.

Additionally, I got a job writing for an online newsletter that was hiring young people and paying us. That was my first paid journalism job. All of this was while writing many papers and receiving feedback from professors, as my major and minor were writing-based.

By the time I finished college, I had a strong portfolio. I had become a much better writer through consistent practice, which is how you improve.

I got my first job at a small local newspaper in Los Angeles. It had a staff of four people, but because it was so small, I got to write extensively. I covered everything, from school board meetings and dog park openings to interviewing people about neighborly disputes.

As one of their primary reporters, we were able to achieve a lot. I was excited to do the work, and we took on some big stories. Eventually, I did multi-part investigative series and major reporting on a consequential LA school board race that received national coverage.

I considered that my graduate school experience. I didn't go to journalism school, which is fine, but I didn't incur debt. Instead, I was getting paid a little at the newspaper and gaining significant experience.

That role led to a job in local TV news in San Diego. It was a big step up. I worked as a digital producer, handling social media, writing articles, and collaborating with anchors on videos.

I worked there for five years, moving up through different positions. Eventually, I pitched and convinced them to let me do a live streaming news show on our website and Facebook. That was my last major role at the local news level before I got the job at CNN.