Major: Politics
Minors: English and Psychology
Profession: Sports Journalist, Portland, Ore.
Hometown: Mill Valley, Calif.
What are you doing now?
I am currently the lead soccer reporter at The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon. I joined The Oregonian in 2013. I cover the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer, the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League and U.S. Soccer.
How did you get there?
I was an intern in the sports department at The Oregonian during the summer after I graduated from Pomona in 2011. After the end of my internship, I spent two years at UC Berkeley earning my Master's degree in journalism. During my two years at Berkeley, I worked at Mission Local, a hyper local news site covering the Mission district of San Francisco, spent a summer interning at the Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau in Washington, D.C. and worked as a freelance journalist. Shortly after graduating from UC Berkeley in 2013, I was offered the opportunity to become the soccer beat reporter at The Oregonian.
How did Pomona help prepare you?
My experience at Pomona was very influential in helping prepare me for a job as a professional journalist. During my four years at Pomona, I was a writer and editor at The Student Life and also wrote articles for the Sagehens athletics website. In addition, I competed for the varsity softball team for all four years, which sparked my interest in sports journalism. I also spent a significant amount of time using the resources at the Career Development Office. I spent two semesters in the Pomona College Internship Program interning first for the Claremont Courier and then taking an internship at Wireless and Mobile News, an online news site focused on reporting about wireless and mobile technology. I also worked with the staff in the Career Development Office when I was applying to internships and their insight helped me secure internships in the journalism industry each summer while at Pomona. In addition, I used the resources at the Career Developmental Office to reach out to alumni in the industry to conduct informational interviews throughout my time at Pomona.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I am committed to remaining in sports journalism and hope to continue to move up in the industry. I am particularly interested in continuing to cover issues and trends in sports. I could also see myself moving into a role as a sports editor at some point.
Any advice for students?
The best advice that I can give students is to take advantage of all the incredible resources that Pomona offers. Whether it's through internship programs, research opportunities, clubs or simply the support of faculty and alumni, Pomona offers so many invaluable resources to prepare students to make the jump from college to the professional world. You don't have to be set on a career when you enter Pomona. Instead, take advantage of the chance to explore different subject matters and fields during your four years in college. Use the resources in the Career Development Office as much as possible and take on multiple internships during your four years. The internships I had in college helped me figure out exactly what type of career I wanted to pursue and gave me valuable experience in the journalism industry.