Cal Poly Journalism, College of Liberal Arts, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA (2026)

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College Of Liberal Arts, California Polytechnic State University

10/06/2026

Joscelyn Martinez has always loved a good story. She fell in love with journalism because it gave her the opportunity tell them, learn about people and inform their decisions about life.  Martinez served as editor-in-chief of her community college student newspaper before transferring to Cal Poly where she is a California government reporter for Mustang News and recently launched her own social media segment called “Breaking Down That Bill.”  “A favorite memory of mine, or most rewarding experience from my time as a journalist, has been watching myself grow over time. I remember writing an awful Mean Girls movie review for my first story, and now I’m covering state politics and educating the Cal Poly community,” Martinez said. “I’ve come a long way, and I know I will continue to learn.”  Throughout her journalism career, Martinez has learned how to manage procrastination and adapt to the demands of reporting. Looking ahead, she hopes to become a trusted source of information for audiences.  “My hope for my career is to rebuild the trust that our audience has,” Martinez said. “I am very hopeful for this generation of reporters and that we can create a new era of reporting, and I hope to contribute to that.”

10/05/2026

Professor Leah Rose’s path into journalism began with a pair of headphones and a beat. Her admiration for music drew her to the field because she wanted to be closer to the sounds and artists that inspired her.

“I have a distinct memory of sitting in a beanbag chair as an undergraduate in San Francisco, listening to a DJ Premier mixtape and being in awe of the music I was hearing,” Rose said.

“Through a lot of persistence, I ended up getting an internship at Vibe magazine in New York City. Six months later, I was hired as an editor at XXL, where I worked for eight years and eventually became the music editor.”

Rose has explored several avenues of journalism throughout her career. After interning at Vibe and working at XXL, a hip-hop magazine, she co-hosted a radio show on Eminem’s SiriusXM channel, Shade 45. Her career has also included an internship with KQED in San Francisco and hosting The Upshot, a podcast for San Francisco magazine.

Her expertise lies in music and culture journalism, but also encompasses interviewing and editing across print, audio and video platforms. Currently, Rose teaches JOUR 3334: Editing for Online and Print Publication. Her favorite part of the position is helping students explore their individual interests and discover what excites them most.

“I love helping [students] turn their interests into focused, well-reported stories and seeing how supportive they are of one another as they develop and edit each other’s work. It’s a chance for them to practice making the editorial decisions we discuss in class,” Rose said.

Rose encourages students to explore the countless opportunities provided by the department and discover their passions.

“This is your chance to try being a reporter, a writer, an editor, an on-air presenter, a producer, a radio DJ, a multimedia journalist, a photographer and more. There are so many opportunities within the journalism department to discover what lights you up and what you want to learn more about,” Rose said. “Try everything now. Later, you may not have access to so many resources.”

09/30/2026

Looking for real-world career advice, feedback on your résumé or portfolio and a stronger professional network? Apply for the 2026 INSPIRE! Mentorship Program.

Created by professionals on the Journalism Advisory Board, INSPIRE! connects Cal Poly Journalism students with experienced alumni and industry leaders. Students selected for the program will be paired with an experienced professional who can offer guidance and insight throughout the remainder of the academic year and beyond.

To be considered, submit an application by September 30 at midnight.

09/28/2026

Jamila Zaki is a senior journalism major concentrating in media innovation. For most of her life, her greatest passion was dancing folklórico, a traditional Mexican cultural dance. That passion motivated her for as long as she could remember, until her aunt suggested she explore journalism.

“My aunt, Marwah, told me to try journalism because I love meeting new people and being out and about, not behind a desk,“ Zaki said. “I discovered I also love visual storytelling and sharing personal narratives of lives we don’t often hear about or see.”

Before transferring to Cal Poly, Zaki worked as a reporter for The Union and Warrior Life Magazine at El Camino College. She now co-hosts KCPR’s podcast, Where Different Matters, which highlights and amplifies underrepresented voices on Cal Poly’s campus and within the San Luis Obispo community.

Her work also includes serving as treasurer of the Journalists of Color Club and as a content coordinator for Badger Branding, a marketing media agency. Through these experiences, Zaki said she is most grateful for the community she has built.

“The people I cover for stories end up becoming my lifelong friends and family. Being part of KCPR helped me find other creatives who are equally as passionate and are so lovely to work with,” Zaki said. “I would not have been able to feel as included if it weren’t for my job.”

Zaki credits the journalism department with helping her become more tenacious. She continues to seek answers and solutions, no matter how many rejections she faces. After graduation, Zaki plans to travel abroad and explore her other interests before eventually pursuing freelance work.

09/28/2026

Apply now for the INPSIRE! Mentorship Program.

Deadline is September 30th.

09/22/2026

Keegan Oates is a junior journalism major concentrating in media innovation. His passion for journalism is driven by a desire to share people’s voices with the world.

“I knew journalism was perfect for me. I chose journalism because it is what I genuinely want to do, regardless of whether everyone believes in what I can accomplish in this field,” Oates said. “On top of that, I love what I do within the journalism department, and I truly feel there is no better place for me to be.”

Throughout his time at Cal Poly, Oates has worked with KCPR News for two years. He has held several roles, including sports and update reporter, Anchor 2 and now Anchor 1. Oates is also part of ESPN+, where he has developed his camera skills while covering baseball and football.

His favorite memory so far came from his Advanced Sportscasting course last spring, when he traveled to a San Francisco Giants baseball game.

“Seeing the realm of sports journalism in a closed-door setting was super unique,” Oates said. “Sitting up in the press box, seeing an up-close interview with Giants manager Tony Vitello, and going onto the field itself are experiences I could have never imagined myself getting in my career, much less college.”

As he develops his skills and expertise, Oates finds the most rewarding part of journalism is the stories he gets to cover. Through the field, he has met inspiring individuals and expanded his perspective. He credits the journalism department with helping him strengthen his communication skills.

“This tool is something that I can take with me even outside of my career and help me in all walks of life,” Oates said. “On top of this, I think my skills within listening have vastly improved with all the interviews I have done that have taught me how to be an active listener and really hear what people have to say.”

Looking ahead, Oates hopes to continue building his skills and pursue a career in sports journalism. He is interested in reporting, behind-the-scenes work or commentating in a big city like Chicago, New York or Los Angeles.

09/15/2026

Seth Pintar is a junior journalism major at Cal Poly concentrating in news, with minors in economics and English. His passion for journalism comes from a desire to provide people with truthful information and a sense of responsibility to tell important stories.

Since starting at Cal Poly, Pintar has completed two internships, including, a remote internship with The Borgen Project, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting global poverty, and an internship with Clear Path Analysis, a media company focused on insurance investment content. However, his favorite memory came from covering St. Fratty’s in 2025.

“My favorite memory would be when I videoed the barricade coming down outside of the Morning on the Green concert on St. Fratty’s in 2025,” Pintar said. “It felt like the stampede scene from The Lion King.”

Across his projects, Pintar finds the finished product most rewarding. He enjoys seeing his hard work come to life and evaluating how much he has improved.

“A skill I’ve gained in journalism is writing,” Pintar said. “While I was confident before coming to Cal Poly in my persuasive writing skills, I feel confident I can write to accurately convey facts and real-world events.”

In the future, Pintar hopes to work for a national outlet or a major-city publication, reaching a large readership or viewership through his reporting.

09/10/2026

For Avery Nunn, visual storytelling begins with a collapsing glacier, a kelp forest beneath the surface or the details that bring a scientific discovery to life.

Nunn, a new professor teaching Visual Communications for the Mass Media, began envisioning a career in journalism during a solo backpacking trip through Patagonia after completing her undergraduate degree.

“While I was there, I witnessed glaciers calving and collapsing into the sea. It’s quite a loud, dramatic, and amazing thing to experience,” Nunn said. “And very emblematic of climate change, which I had spent the last few years studying. I was suddenly very eager to relay the fragile, urgent state of this ecosystem to anyone who would listen.”

She later earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. After working as a freelance science journalist, Nunn began contributing to National Geographic, where she has worked for the past three years.

Her reporting focuses on field expeditions, the climate-driven redistribution of marine species and recent environmental science research. Throughout that work, she relies on visual storytelling to make complex subjects accessible.

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“Most of my reporting centers on fieldwork expeditions in the wild, the climate-driven redistribution of marine species and stories built on recent environmental science research,” Nunn said. “I suppose what they all have in common beyond is an essence of visual storytelling. Even if I’m not photographing for the story that I’m writing, I try to get as many vivid details as possible from my sources in order to narrate something that readers can see.”

Some of Nunn’s favorite assignments have taken her underwater. She has freedived in local kelp forests and spent several weeks in Antarctica, experiences that have allowed her to explore environments that are often overlooked.

One of her most meaningful assignments involved interviewing marine biologist Sylvia Earle for a feature celebrating Earle’s 90th birthday.

“We bonded over a shared origin story of spending our childhood summers down the shore in New Jersey and kindling an early fascination with nature v

09/08/2026

Nadiya Quintos is a senior journalism major concentrating in public relations. Her path to journalism was not always straightforward, but her love for writing and connecting with people fueled her interest.

“As a child, I loved writing stories, asking a lot of questions, journaling and making short films with my younger brother, so journalism felt like it combined all my interests in one place,” Quintos said. “After taking several journalism classes and declaring my concentration in public relations, I’ve discovered a strong passion for storytelling, especially through social media.”

Quintos recently became a social media coordinator for Mustang News. She also has roots in United Movement, where she expresses her love of dance and performance. The community has become close to her heart. She also helped market the Illuminate showcase and works as a production intern for The CJ Silas Show (sports talk radio).

As Quintos reflects on her college journalism experience, she credits the Visual Communication for the Mass Media course and the INSPIRE mentorship program with shaping her path.

“I was fortunate enough to be paired with two amazing professional mentors and Cal Poly alumni, Carly Rickards and Meghan Claussen,” Quintos said. “It was so valuable being able to learn from their experiences, hear about their careers and get advice as I figure out my own path.”

Through it all, Quintos is grateful to have discovered what she is truly passionate about. During her freshman year, she was unsure where her path at Cal Poly would lead. Now, she says she has found her passion, creating content that people can relate to.

“I’ve always been someone who is curious about people and their experiences, and journalism has shown me that everyone has a story to tell. I love having meaningful conversations with people and hearing their experiences and perspectives,” Quintos said.

Looking ahead, Quintos hopes to pursue a career in public relations or marketing in the fashion, beauty or entertainment industries.

Cal Poly Journalism

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